Church Growth

praising God, and having favour with all the people, and the Lord was adding those being saved every day to the assembly.

and He gave some <FI>as<Fi> apostles, and some <FI>as<Fi> prophets, and some <FI>as<Fi> proclaimers of good news, and some <FI>as<Fi> shepherds and teachers, — read the full passage →

`And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;

Then, indeed, the assemblies throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, had peace, being built up, and, going on in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

and I, if I may be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself.'

for other foundation no one is able to lay except that which is laid, which is Jesus the Christ;

and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what <FI>is<Fi> the will of God--the good, and acceptable, and perfect.

and they were continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles, and the fellowship, and the breaking of the bread, and the prayers.

how nothing I did keep back of what things are profitable, not to declare to you, and to teach you publicly, and in every house, — read the full passage →

till I come, give heed to the reading, to the exhortation, to the teaching;

And I say: In the Spirit walk ye, and the desire of the flesh ye may not complete; — read the full passage →

And He putteth in my mouth a new song, `Praise to our God.' Many do see and fear, and trust in Jehovah.

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that the things lacking thou mayest arrange, and mayest set down in every city elders, as I did appoint to thee;

every Writing <FI>is<Fi> God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for setting aright, for instruction that <FI>is<Fi> in righteousness, — read the full passage →

Wherefore having girded up the loins of your mind, being sober, hope perfectly upon the grace that is being brought to you in the revelation of Jesus Christ, — read the full passage →

Peter, therefore, indeed, was kept in the prison, and fervent prayer was being made by the assembly unto God for him,

Stedfast <FI>is<Fi> the word: If any one the oversight doth long for, a right work he desireth; — read the full passage →

having been confident of this very thing, that He who did begin in you a good work, will perform <FI>it<Fi> till a day of Jesus Christ,

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as a custom of certain <FI>is<Fi> , but exhorting, and so much the more as ye see the day coming nigh.

And thou--be speaking what doth become the sound teaching; — read the full passage →

to your walking worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, in every good work being fruitful, and increasing to the knowledge of God,

Ascribe to Jehovah the honour of His name, Lift up a present, and come before Him. Bow yourselves to Jehovah, In the beauty of holiness.

(and He manifested in proper times His word,) in preaching, which I was entrusted with, according to a charge of God our Saviour, — read the full passage →

for the love of the Christ doth constrain us, having judged thus: that if one for all died, then the whole died, — read the full passage →

and they were continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles, and the fellowship, and the breaking of the bread, and the prayers. — read the full passage →

And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, `Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious; — read the full passage →

A Song of the Ascents, by David. I have rejoiced in those saying to me, `To the house of Jehovah we go.'

unto the perfecting of the saints, for a work of ministration, for a building up of the body of the Christ,

have ye not known that ye are a sanctuary of God, and the Spirit of God doth dwell in you? — read the full passage →

and increase ye in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to him <FI>is<Fi> the glory both now, and to the day of the age! Amen.

for where there are two or three gathered together--to my name, there am I in the midst of them.'

For they have made low, And thou sayest, `Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.

(and the more were believers added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women,)

And in the day of the Pentecost being fulfilled, they were all with one accord at the same place, — read the full passage →

from whom the whole body, being fitly joined together and united, through the supply of every joint, according to the working in the measure of each single part, the increase of the body doth make for the building up of itself in love.

And I commend you to Phebe our sister--being a ministrant of the assembly that <FI>is<Fi> in Cenchrea-- — read the full passage →

When I was a babe, as a babe I was speaking, as a babe I was thinking, as a babe I was reasoning, and when I have become a man, I have made useless the things of the babe;

so that neither is he who is planting anything, nor he who is watering, but He who is giving growth--God;

as new-born babes the word's pure milk desire ye, that in it ye may grow,

remain in me, and I in you, as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, if it may not remain in the vine, so neither ye, if ye may not remain in me. — read the full passage →

and having seen him, they bowed to him, but some did waver. — read the full passage →

Wherefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Christ, unto the perfection we may advance, not again a foundation laying of reformation from dead works, and of faith on God,

till we may all come to the unity of the faith and of the recognition of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of stature of the fulness of the Christ,

verily, verily, I say to you, if the grain of the wheat, having fallen to the earth, may not die, itself remaineth alone; and if it may die, it doth bear much fruit;

A Psalm of David. The affirmation of Jehovah to my Lord: `Sit at My right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.' — read the full passage →

And this same also--all diligence having brought in besides, superadd in your faith the worthiness, and in the worthiness the knowledge, — read the full passage →

I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice--living, sanctified, acceptable to God--your intelligent service;

for even owing to be teachers, because of the time, again ye have need that one teach you what <FI>are<Fi> the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God, and ye have become having need of milk, and not of strong food, — read the full passage →

every Writing <FI>is<Fi> God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for setting aright, for instruction that <FI>is<Fi> in righteousness,

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, in grace singing in your hearts to the Lord;

`Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, to feed the assembly of God that He acquired through His own blood,

it seemed good to us, having come together with one accord, chosen men to send unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul-- — read the full passage →

preach the word; be earnest in season, out of season, convict, rebuke, exhort, in all long-suffering and teaching,

and this I pray, that your love yet more and more may abound in full knowledge, and all judgment, — read the full passage →

and the helmet of the salvation receive, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the saying of God,

till we may all come to the unity of the faith and of the recognition of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to a measure of stature of the fulness of the Christ, — read the full passage →

each one, according as he doth purpose in heart, not out of sorrow or out of necessity, for a cheerful giver doth God love,

as, then, ye did receive Christ Jesus the Lord, in him walk ye, — read the full passage →

and He gave some <FI>as<Fi> apostles, and some <FI>as<Fi> prophets, and some <FI>as<Fi> proclaimers of good news, and some <FI>as<Fi> shepherds and teachers, — read the full passage →

being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace;

for, as many things as were written before, for our instruction were written before, that through the endurance, and the exhortation of the Writings, we might have the hope.

And the word of God did grow and did multiply,

A Psalm of David. Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> my shepherd, I do not lack, — read the full passage →

Ye, then, beloved, knowing before, take heed, lest, together with the error of the impious being led away, ye may fall from your own stedfastness, — read the full passage →

which is present to you, as also in all the world, and is bearing fruit, as also in you, from the day in which ye heard, and knew the grace of God in truth;

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during. — read the full passage →

and Jesus was advancing in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour with God and men.

ye shall therefore be perfect, as your Father who <FI>is<Fi> in the heavens is perfect.

every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;

and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire--in nothing lacking;

Wherefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Christ, unto the perfection we may advance, not again a foundation laying of reformation from dead works, and of faith on God, — read the full passage →

Brethren, become not children in the understanding, but in the evil be ye babes, and in the understanding become ye perfect;

And I commend you to Phebe our sister--being a ministrant of the assembly that <FI>is<Fi> in Cenchrea--

Salute you doth Epaphras, who <FI>is<Fi> of you, a servant of Christ, always striving for you in the prayers, that ye may stand perfect and made full in all the will of God,

and He gave some <FI>as<Fi> apostles, and some <FI>as<Fi> prophets, and some <FI>as<Fi> proclaimers of good news, and some <FI>as<Fi> shepherds and teachers,

And as they were going on through the cities, they were delivering to them the decrees to keep, that have been judged by the apostles and the elders who <FI>are<Fi> in Jerusalem, — read the full passage →

then those, indeed, who did gladly receive his word were baptized, and there were added on that day, as it were, three thousand souls,

that He may give to you, according to the riches of His glory, with might to be strengthened through His Spirit, in regard to the inner man,

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth; — read the full passage →

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, having been separated to the good news of God-- — read the full passage →

And after the ceasing of the tumult, Paul having called near the disciples, and having embraced <FI>them<Fi> , went forth to go on to Macedonia; — read the full passage →

And certain having come down from Judea, were teaching the brethren--`If ye be not circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye are not able to be saved;' — read the full passage →

and we to prayer, and to the ministration of the word, will give ourselves continually.'

and great fear came upon all the assembly, and upon all who heard these things.

And he said, `Thus is the reign of God: as if a man may cast the seed on the earth, — read the full passage →

Another simile he set before them, saying: `The reign of the heavens is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did sow in his field, — read the full passage →

`Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.'

Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, for these do watch for your souls, as about to give account, that with joy they may do this, and not sighing, for this <FI>is<Fi> unprofitable to you.

for even owing to be teachers, because of the time, again ye have need that one teach you what <FI>are<Fi> the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God, and ye have become having need of milk, and not of strong food, — read the full passage →

and thou, O man of God, these things flee, and pursue righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurance, meekness; — read the full passage →

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth;

`Not every one who is saying to me Lord, lord, shall come into the reign of the heavens; but he who is doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens. — read the full passage →

and not holding the head, from which all the body--through the joints and bands gathering supply, and being knit together--may increase with the increase of God.

And the path of the righteous <FI>is<Fi> as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,

The righteous as a palm-tree flourisheth, As a cedar in Lebanon he groweth.

A revelation of Jesus Christ, that God gave to him, to shew to his servants what things it behoveth to come to pass quickly; and he did signify <FI>it<Fi> , having sent through his messenger to his servant John,

Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them. — read the full passage →

Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.

`To the messenger of the Ephesian assembly write: These things saith he who is holding the seven stars in his right hand, who is walking in the midst of the seven lamp-stands--the golden: — read the full passage →

wherefore, beloved, these things waiting for, be diligent, spotless and unblameable, by Him to be found in peace,