being naive

¹⁵The innocent trust every word. The astute one considers his own steps. Nothing good will be for the deceitful son. But the wise servant shall act prosperously and his way will be set in order.

¹⁸For ones such as these do not serve Christ our Lord, but their inner selves, and, through pleasing words and skillful speaking, they seduce the hearts of the innocent.

¹²The discerning man, seeing evil, hides himself. The little ones, continuing on, sustain losses.

¹⁶Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be as prudent as serpents and as simple as doves.

²⁰Brothers, do not choose to have the minds of children. Instead, be free of malice like infants, but be mature in your minds.

⁷and I see little ones. I consider a frenzied youth,

²²“Little ones, how long will you choose to be childish, and how long will the foolish desire what is harmful to themselves, and how long will the imprudent hate knowledge?

³²The loathing of the little ones shall destroy them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall perish them.

¹¹When the pestilent is punished, a little one will become wiser. And if he pursues what is wise, he will receive knowledge.

⁴so as to give discernment to little ones, knowledge and understanding to adolescents.

²⁵When the pestilent are scourged, the foolish will become wiser. But if you chastise the wise, he will understand discipline.

³The clever saw evil and hid himself. The innocent continued on and was afflicted with damage.

¹And so, I beg you, brothers, by the mercy of God, that you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, with the subservience of your mind. ²And do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead choose to be reformed in the newness of your mind, so that you may demonstrate what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect. ³For I say, through the grace that has been given to me, to all who are among you: Taste no more than it is necessary to taste, but taste unto sobriety and just as God has distributed a share of the faith to each one. ⁴For just as, within one body, we have many parts, though all the parts do not have the same role, ⁵so also we, being many, are one body in Christ, and each one is a part, the one of the other. ⁶And we each have different gifts, according to the grace that has been given to us: whether prophecy, in agreement with the reasonableness of faith;

³³And God is not of dissension, but of peace, just as I also teach in all the churches of the saints.

⁵O little ones, understand discernment. And you who are unwise, turn your souls.

¹⁸The childish will possess foolishness, and the discerning will anticipate knowledge.

⁶Let no one seduce you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God was sent upon the sons of unbelief.

¹³A foolish and loud woman, who is full of enticements and who knows nothing at all,

¹⁹But your obedience has been made known in every place. And so, I rejoice in you. But I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple in what is evil.