Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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Paul's Work for the Gentiles
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner
of Christ Jesus for the sake
of you Gentiles, pray to God.
2 Surely you have heard that God in
his grace has given me this work to
do for your good.
3 God revealed his
secret plan and made it known to
me. (I have written briefly about
this,
4 and if you will read what I
have written, you can learn about
my understanding of the secret of
Christ.)
5 In past times mankind was
not told this secret, but God has revealed
it now by the Spirit to his
holy apostles and prophets.
6 The secret
is that by means of the gospel
the Gentiles have a part with the
Jews in God's blessings; they are
members of the same body and
share in the promise that God made
through Christ Jesus. note
7 I was made a servant of the gospel
by God's special gift, which he
gave me through the working of his
power.
8 I am less than the least of
all God's people; yet God gave me
this privilege of taking to the Gentiles
the Good News about the infinite
riches of Christ,
9 and of making
all people see how God's secret plan
is to be put into effect. God, who is
the Creator of all things, kept his secret
hidden through all the past
ages,
10 in order that at the present
time, by means of the church, the
angelic rulers and powers in the
heavenly world might learn of his
wisdom in all its different forms.
11 God did this according to his eternal
purpose, which he achieved
-- --
through Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 In
union with Christ and through our
faith in him we have the boldness to
go into God's presence with all confidence.
13 I beg you, then, not to be
discouraged because I am suffering
for you; it is all for your benefit.
The Love of Christ
14 For this reason I fall on my
knees before the Father,
15 from
whom every family in heaven and on
earth receives its true name.
16 I ask
God from the wealth of his glory to
give you power through his Spirit to
be strong in your inner selves,
17 and
I pray that Christ will make his
home in your hearts through faith. I
pray that you may have your roots
and foundation in love,
18 so that
you, together with all God's people,
may have the power to understand
how broad and long, how high and
deep, is Christ's love. note
19 Yes, may
you come to know his love—although
it can never be fully
known—and so be completely filled
with the very nature of God.
20 To him who by means of his
power working in us is able to do so
much more than we can ever ask
for, or even think of:
21 to God be the
glory in the church and in Christ
Jesus for all time, forever and ever!
Amen.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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