growing in knowledge

¹⁸Yet truly, increase in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and in the day of eternity. Amen.

⁹And this I pray: that your charity may abound more and more, with knowledge and with all understanding,

²Like newborn infants, desire the milk of reasonableness without guile, so that by this you may increase unto salvation,

¹⁵Be solicitous in the task of presenting yourself before God as a proven and unashamed worker who has handled the Word of Truth correctly.

¹⁶All Scripture, having been divinely inspired, is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in justice, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be perfect, having been trained for every good work.

¹¹Our message about him is great, and difficult to explain when speaking, because you have been made feeble when listening. ¹²For even though it is the time when you ought to be teachers, you are still lacking, so that you must be taught the things that are the basic elements of the Word of God, and so you have been made like those who are in need of milk, and not of solid food. ¹³For anyone who is still feeding on milk is still unskillful in the Word of Justice; for he is like an infant. ¹⁴But solid food is for those who are mature, for those who, by practice, have sharpened their mind, so as to discern good from evil.

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.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine.

¹⁵Instead, acting according to truth in charity, we should increase in everything, in him who is the head, Christ himself.

⁹Then, too, from the day when we first heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and requesting that you be filled with the knowledge of his will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

¹⁷Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration.

⁵But if anyone among you is in need of wisdom, let him petition God, who gives abundantly to all without reproach, and it shall be given to him.

²¹But test all things. Hold on to whatever is good.

⁶But without faith, it is impossible to please God. For whoever approaches God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him.

⁶I planted, Apollo watered, but God provided the growth. ⁷And so, neither he who plants, nor he who waters, is anything, but only God, who provides the growth.

²⁰If anyone says that he loves God, but hates his brother, then he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he does see, in what way can he love God, whom he does not see? ²¹And this is the commandment that we have from God, that he who loves God must also love his brother.