Understanding Your Beliefs

The first thing <FI>is<Fi> wisdom--get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

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 the Lord God sanctify in your hearts. And <FI>be<Fi> ready always for defence to every one who is asking of you an account concerning the hope that <FI>is<Fi> in you, with meekness and fear;

and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him;

be diligent to present thyself approved to God--a workman irreproachable, rightly dividing the word of the truth;

See that no one shall be carrying you away as spoil through the philosophy and vain deceit, according to the deliverance of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,

all things prove; that which is good hold fast;

and these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, they received the word with all readiness of mind, every day examining the Writings whether those things were so;

that we may no more be babes, tossed and borne about by every wind of the teaching, in the sleight of men, in craftiness, unto the artifice of leading astray,

The simple giveth credence to everything, And the prudent attendeth to his step.

And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction,

The heart of the intelligent getteth knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

reasonings bringing down, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ,

Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world;

And Jesus said to him, `Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thine understanding--

Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not. — read the full passage →

and the truth shall make you free.'

`Therefore, every one who doth hear of me these words, and doth do them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock; — read the full passage →

Your own selves try ye, if ye are in the faith; your own selves prove ye; do ye not know your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, if ye be not in some respect disapproved of?

so then the faith <FI>is<Fi> by a report, and the report through a saying of God,

For Jehovah giveth wisdom, From His mouth knowledge and understanding.

for which cause also these things I suffer, but I am not ashamed, for I have known in whom I have believed, and have been persuaded that he is able that which I have committed to him to guard--to that day.

The pattern hold thou of sound words, which from me thou didst hear, in faith and love that <FI>is<Fi> in Christ Jesus;

that their hearts may be comforted, being united in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of the understanding, to the full knowledge of the secret of the God and Father, and of the Christ, — read the full passage →

that we may no more be babes, tossed and borne about by every wind of the teaching, in the sleight of men, in craftiness, unto the artifice of leading astray, — read the full passage →

So that, my beloved, as ye always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling your own salvation work out,

for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;

Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.

and of perfect men is the strong food, who because of the use are having the senses exercised, unto the discernment both of good and of evil.

As to the rest, brethren, as many things as are true, as many as <FI>are<Fi> grave, as many as <FI>are<Fi> righteous, as many as <FI>are<Fi> pure, as many as <FI>are<Fi> lovely, as many as <FI>are<Fi> of good report, if any worthiness, and if any praise, these things think upon;

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 →

Also, without knowledge the soul <FI>is<Fi> not good, And the hasty in feet is sinning.

for God is not <FI>a God<Fi> of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.

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

From Thy precepts I have understanding, Therefore I have hated every false path! — read the full passage →

As to the rest, brethren, as many things as are true, as many as <FI>are<Fi> grave, as many as <FI>are<Fi> righteous, as many as <FI>are<Fi> pure, as many as <FI>are<Fi> lovely, as many as <FI>are<Fi> of good report, if any worthiness, and if any praise, these things think upon; — read the full passage →

and the natural man doth not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him they are foolishness, and he is not able to know <FI>them<Fi> , because spiritually they are discerned;

A fool delighteth not in understanding, But--in uncovering his heart.

From Thy precepts I have understanding, Therefore I have hated every false path!

As all things to us His divine power (the things pertaining unto life and piety) hath given, through the acknowledgement of him who did call us through glory and worthiness, — read the full passage →

and the peace of God, that is surpassing all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

because of this become not fools, but--understanding what <FI>is<Fi> the will of the Lord,

One doth judge one day above another, and another doth judge every day <FI>alike<Fi> ; let each in his own mind be fully assured.

but, there cometh an hour, and it now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also doth seek such to worship him; — read the full passage →

and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical: --

and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves, — read the full passage →

and apart from faith it is impossible to please well, for it behoveth him who is coming to God to believe that He is, and to those seeking Him He becometh a rewarder.

for the reckoning of God is living, and working, and sharp above every two-edged sword, and piercing unto the dividing asunder both of soul and spirit, of joints also and marrow, and a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart;

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

So that, my beloved, as ye always obey, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and trembling your own salvation work out, — read the full passage →

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

and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of the glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the recognition of him, — read the full passage →

and no wonder--for even the Adversary doth transform himself into a messenger of light; — read the full passage →

which things also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Holy Spirit, with spiritual things spiritual things comparing,

There is, then, now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit; — read the full passage →

`Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, also in me believe; — read the full passage →

Jesus, therefore, said unto the Jews who believed in him, `If ye may remain in my word, truly my disciples ye are, and ye shall know the truth, — read the full passage →

if any one may will to do His will, he shall know concerning the teaching, whether it is of God, or--I do speak from myself.

`And why, also, of yourselves, judge ye not what is righteous?

`Therefore, every one who doth hear of me these words, and doth do them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock; — read the full passage →

`Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you; — read the full passage →

Cut off have been My people for lack of knowledge, Because thou knowledge hast rejected, I reject thee from being priest to Me, And thou forgettest the law of thy God, I forget thy sons, I also!

To cause thine ear to attend to wisdom, Thou inclinest thy heart to understanding, — read the full passage →

<FI> Nun.<Fi> A lamp to my foot <FI>is<Fi> Thy word, And a light to my path.

Above all my teachers I have acted wisely. For Thy testimonies <FI>are<Fi> my meditation.

The goodness of reason and knowledge teach me, For in Thy commands I have believed.

the book of this law doth not depart out of thy mouth, and thou hast meditated in it by day and by night, so that thou dost observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then thou dost cause thy way to prosper, and then thou dost act wisely.

And God saith, `Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.'

the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness <FI>is<Fi> on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters,

In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth--

And having heard, they were pricked to the heart; they say also to Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, `What shall we do, men, brethren?' — read the full passage →

And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them.