Ephesians 4:1-10 TLB

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the "body" of Christ.

Each of us is a part of the one body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But the Holy Spirit has fitted us all together into one body. We have been baptized into Christ's body by the one Spirit, and have all been given that same Holy Spirit.

Yes, the body has many parts, not just one part.

If the foot says "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it an less a part of the body.

And what would you think if you heard an ear say, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not and eye"? Would that make it any less a part of the body?"

Suppose the whole body were an eye--then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell  anything?

But that isn't the way God has made us. He has made many parts for our bodies and has put each part just where he wants it.

What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part!

So he made many parts, but still there is only one body.

The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you."

And some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary.

Yes, we are especially glad to have some parts that seem rather odd! And we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen,

while of course the parts that may be seen do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in  such a way that honor and care are given to those parts that might otherwise seem less important.

This makes for happiness among the parts, so that the parts have the same care for each other that the do for themselves.

If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

Now here is what I am trying to say: All of you together are the one body of Christ, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.

1 Corinthians 1:10-11 But, dear brothers, I beg you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so that there won't be splits in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

For some of those who live at Chloe's house have told me of your arguments and quarrels, dear brothers.

Jude Verses 3-5 Dearly loved friends, I had been planning to write you some thoughts about the salvation God has given us, but now I find I must write of something else instead, urging you to stoutly defend the truth that God gave once for all to his people to keep without change through the years.

I say this because some godless teachers have wormed their way in among you, saying that after we become Christians we can do just as we like without fear of God's punishment. The fate of such people was written long ago, for they have turned against our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

My answer to them is: Remember this fact--which you know already--that the Lord saved a whole nation of people out of the land of Egypt and then killed every one of them who did not trust and obey him.

Malachi 2:8-10 But not to you! For you have left God's Paths. Your guidance has caused many to stumble in sin. You have distorted the covenant of Levi and made it into grotesque parody," says the Lord Almighty.

"Therefore, I have made you contemptible in the eyes of all the people; for you have not obeyed me, but you let your favorites break the law without rebuke."

We are children of the same father, Abraham, all created by the same God. And yet we are faithless to each other, violating the covenant of our fathers!