¹² To all those who did so take him, however, he gave the right of becoming children of God--that is, to those who had faith in his name:

¹³ Whose birth was from God and not from blood, or from an impulse of the flesh and man's desire.

¹⁴ And so the Word became flesh and took a place among us for a time; and we saw his glory--such glory as is given to an only son by his father--saw it to be true and full of grace.

²⁵ Not giving up our meetings, as is the way of some, but keeping one another strong in faith; and all the more because you see the day coming near.

⁷ It is for your training that you undergo these things; God is acting to you as a father does to his sons; for what son does not have punishment from his father?

⁸ But if you have not that punishment of which we all have our part, then you are not true sons, but children of shame.

⁹ And again, if the fathers of our flesh gave us punishment and had our respect, how much more will we be under the authority of the Father of spirits, and have life?

¹⁰ For they truly gave us punishment for a short time, as it seemed good to them; but he does it for our profit, so that we may become holy as he is.

¹¹ At the time all punishment seems to be pain and not joy: but after, those who have been trained by it get from it the peace-giving fruit of righteousness.

³³ And he said in answer, Who are my mother and my brothers?

³⁴ And looking round at those who were seated about him, he said, See, my mother and my brothers!

³⁵ Whoever does God's pleasure, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

¹ Do not say sharp words to one who has authority in the church, but let your talk be as to a father, and to the younger men as to brothers:

² To the older women as to mothers, to the younger as to sisters, with a clean heart.

³ Give honour to widows who are truly widows.

¹⁵ For you did not get the spirit of servants again to put you in fear, but the spirit of sons was given to you, by which we say, Abba, Father.

¹⁶ The Spirit is witness with our spirit that we are children of God:

¹⁷ And if we are children, we have a right to a part in the heritage; a part in the things of God, together with Christ; so that if we have a part in his pain, we will in the same way have a part in his glory.

¹⁸ I am of the opinion that there is no comparison between the pain of this present time and the glory which we will see in the future.

⁴ But when the time had come, God sent out his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

⁵ That he might make them free who were under the law, and that we might be given the place of sons.

⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, saying, Abba, Father.

⁷ So that you are no longer a servant, but a son; and if a son, then the heritage of God is yours.

⁸ But at that time, having no knowledge of God, you were servants to those who by right are no gods:

²⁶ Because you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷ For all those of you who were given baptism into Christ did put on Christ.

²⁸ There is no Jew or Greek, servant or free, male or female: because you are all one in Jesus Christ.

²⁹ And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and yours is the heritage by the right of God's undertaking given to Abraham.

³⁵ Now the servant does not go on living in the house for ever, but the son does.

⁵ So we, though we are a number of persons, are one body in Christ, and are dependent on one another;

¹ See what great love the Father has given us in naming us the children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not see who we are, because it did not see who he was.

² My loved ones, now we are children of God, and at present it is not clear what we are to be. We are certain that at his revelation we will be like him; for we will see him as he is.

³ And everyone who has this hope in him makes himself holy, even as he is holy.

¹⁰ So then, as we have the chance, let us do good to all men, and specially to those who are of the family of the faith.

²⁶ And if there is pain in one part of the body, all the parts will be feeling it; or if one part is honoured, all the parts will be glad.

¹⁴ For this cause I go down on my knees before the Father,

¹⁵ From whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

¹⁶ That in the wealth of his glory he would make you strong with power through his Spirit in your hearts;

⁵ As we were designed before by him for the position of sons to himself, through Jesus Christ, in the good pleasure of his purpose,

⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely gave to us in the Loved One:

⁷ In whom we have salvation through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, through the wealth of his grace,

¹⁹ So then you are no longer as those who have no part or place in the kingdom of God, but you are numbered among the saints, and of the family of God,

²⁰ Resting on the base of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief keystone,

²¹ In whom all the building, rightly joined together, comes to be a holy house of God in the Lord;

²² In whom you, with the rest, are united together as a living-place of God in the Spirit.

⁴² Jesus said to them, If God was your Father you would have love for me, because it was from God I came and am here. I did not come of myself, but he sent me.