The church, fellowship and unity

13 When Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) arrived in the outskirts of Kaisareia-Filippi (Caesarea Philippi), he asked his apprentices, “Who are people saying the son of humanity is?”

14 “Some say Yohan-the-immerser come back to life,” they answered, “but others say the promised prophet Eliyah (Elijah), and others, Yirmiyah (Jeremiah) or one of the other prophets.”[ref]

15 “But you yourselves,” he asked, “Who do you say I am?”

16 “You’re the promised messiah,” Shim’on (Simon) Kefa (Peter; Grk. Petros) answered, “the son of the living god.”[ref]

17 Then Yeshua answered, “You are blessed, Shim’on BarYonah, because it wasn’t any person that revealed that to you, but rather, my father who’s in the heavens. 18 And I can add that you’re Kefa (meaning ‘rock’), and I’ll build my assembly on that rock, and hell’s gates won’t be able to hold it back. 19 I’ll give you the heavenly kingdom’s keys, and whatever you restrain on the earth will be restrained in the heavens, and whatever you free on the earth will be freed in the heavens.”[ref]

20 Then he instructed his apprentices not to tell anyone that he’s the messiah.

43 They were serious in their learning about God, and the missionaries did many miracles and signs of God’s power in Yerushalem (Jerusalem) and all the people wanted to be right with God. 44 All those who did believe were united in purpose and had shared use of many things.[ref] 45 Some sold their properties and possessions and divided them among the group so that everyone had everything they needed. 46 Each day they worshipped together at the temple and also went to various homes to break bread together. They talked about Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) at their mealtimes without sophistication, 47 praising God and being popular with the people, and every day Yahweh was adding more that were being saved.

11 Because of that, don’t forget that you all were once fleshly unbelievers (nicknamed ‘the uncircumcised ones’ by circumcised Yehudim (Jews) who mark the bodies of their males with human hands). 12 At that time you were separated from the citizens of Yisrael (Israel) and were strangers to the agreements involving God’s promise. You didn’t have any future hope as you lived in the world without knowing God.

13 But now thanks to Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) the messiah, you all who were once far from God have become close by means of the messiah’s blood. 14 He is the source of peace between Yehudim and non-Jews, having broken the dividing wall that fenced them apart and making the two into one. He took the hostility onto himself, 15 having declared the old commands to be now void so that Yehudim and non-Jews can now be peaceably united.[ref] 16 By his death on the pole, any hostility is destroyed and both groups now become just one body in God’s sight.[ref] 17 When the messiah came, he announced the good message: peace to you all who were far from God, and peace also to the ones who were near,[ref] 18 so now both groups have access to the father by means of one spirit through the work of the messiah.

19 As a result, you all are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens of the believers and part of God’s household 20 which has been founded on the teaching of the missionaries and prophets. The cornerstone of this building is Yeshua the messiah. 21 He joins the entire building together, growing us all into a dedicated temple for Yahweh. 22 You all are being built together by following him, becoming a place for God’s spirit to live in.

4 As you chosen people approach the living building-stone (which was rejected by humans yet chosen and honoured by God), 5 you’re being built into a temple and joining a holy group of priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) the messiah, 6 because it’s written in the scriptures:

‘Look, I’m placing a building-stone in Tsiyon (Zion),

the vital cornerstone that’s chosen and honoured,

and anyone who believes in him certainly won’t be disgraced.’[ref]

7 To all of you who believe, this cornerstone is valuable, but to those who don’t believe:

‘The building-stone which the builders rejected

ended up becoming the vital cornerstone.’[ref]

8 and he’ll be:

‘A stone that people stumble over

and a rock that upsets people.’[ref]

They stumble because they won’t believe in the message—this is what was appointed for them.

9 But you believers are a chosen tribe, a group of royal priests, a holy nation,[ref] a people group that God has procured,[ref] so that you can tell others about the virtues of the one[ref] who called you out of darkness and into his marvellous light.[ref] 10 Previously you weren’t a people group, but now you’re God’s people—previously you hadn’t been shown mercy, but now you have been.[ref]

12 Just like a human body is a unit but has many parts which are all components, no matter how many, making up that one body, so too is the messiah.[ref] 13 Yes, in one spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether we were Yehudim (Jews) or Hellains (Greeks), whether slaves or free, and we all were given one spirit to drink. MEANING?

14 Yes, indeed the body is not one part, but many. 15 If your foot said, “Since I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body, 16 and if your ear said, “Since I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body. 17 If your whole body was an eye, how could you hear? But then, if your whole body was an ear, how could you smell anything? 18 Actually, God has placed every part in our bodies exactly where he wanted to put them. 19 If it was all just one part, how could it be a body? 20 Yes, there’s many parts, but only one body.

21 Your eye can’t tell your hand, “I don’t need you,” and your head can’t tell your feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 On the contrary, the body parts that seem to be weaker are very vital, 23 and those body parts that seem less honourable, we give them greater honour and hence our unpresentable body parts are treated with more modesty. 24 Our presentable parts don’t have any need for that, but rather God has put the body together and he gave greater honour to the lesser parts 25 so that there won’t be any division in the body, but its members should care equally for each other. 26 So if one body part is hurting, all the parts hurt as well. If one body part is honoured, then all the parts are happy together.

27 Now you all are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it.

4 Because of that, I, a prisoner for Yahweh, am urging you all to walk worthily of the calling to which you were called 2 with all humility, gentleness, and patience, putting up with one another because of your love for them,[ref] 3 being serious about keeping the unity of God’s spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one spirit, just as you all were called to one hope when you were called. 5 There’s one master, one system of faith, one immersion, 6 one God and father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

7 Yet each one of us has been given a measure of grace as a gift from the messiah, 8 just as it was written,

“When he ascended to heaven,

he eliminated captivity

and gave gifts to people.”[ref]

9 Of course, he couldn’t ascend if he hadn’t first descended down to earth. 10 So the one who descended is the very one who also ascended above all the heavens so that he could fill all locations. 11 Then he gave some as missionaries, some as prophets, some as announcers of the good message, some as pastors and teachers 12 so as to complete the dedicated ones for the work of service—for building the body of the messiah 13 until we can reach the unity of our faith and of our knowledge about God’s son—becoming mature people measured against the stature of the fullness of the messiah. 14 Then we’ll no longer be like children in our faith, tossed around by waves and being blown by every wind of teaching used to trick us or by crafty people who scheme how to deceive us. 15 Instead, by lovingly speaking the truth, we will grow up into every aspect of him—the messiah who is the head 16 that integrates the entire body together and holds it together by every one of its joints. When each component does its work, the body grows and builds itself up with love.[ref]

19 Therefore brothers and sisters, we have confidence to enter the holy place by Yeshua’s (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) blood—20 a new and life-giving path that he initiated for us to go through the curtain, which is his flesh. 21 Since we have an incredible priest presiding over God’s house, 22 we can approach God with sincere hearts in full assurance due to our faith, having our hearts sprinkled to clean us from our guilty consciences and with our bodies having been washed in clean water.[ref] 23 We can hold onto the confession of our unwavering hope because the one who made the promise is faithful, 24 and we can be considering how to provoke each other to show love and to do good things—25 not giving up meeting together as some have, but rather encouraging each other even more as you all see the day of judgement coming closer.