But I am sending ¹  these brothers so that our boasting about you may not be empty in this case, so that you may be ready ²  just as I kept telling them.

And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters ¹  in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ² 

For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, ¹  and so ²  he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, ³ 

We know that ¹  we have crossed over ²  from death to life ³  because ⁴  we love our fellow Christians. ⁵  The one who does not love remains in death. ⁶ 

As ¹  he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). ² 

Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat ¹  with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then ²  he called them.

And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much ¹  and will inherit eternal life.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, ¹  there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel

who will not receive in this age ¹  a hundred times as much – homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions ²  – and in the age to come, eternal life. ³ 

Then ¹  Jesus ²  said to them, “I tell you the truth, ³  there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers ⁴  or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ¹  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ²  to see how they are doing.” ³ 

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ¹  can testify about me. From them ²  I also received ³  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ⁴  to make arrests there and bring ⁵  the prisoners ⁶  to Jerusalem ⁷  to be punished.

Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution ¹  you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift ²  and not as something you feel forced to do. ³ 

And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office ¹  have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, ²  although they too are descendants of Abraham. ³ 

He ¹  said also to the man ²  who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, ³  don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate ¹  his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, ²  he cannot be my disciple.

Jesus replied, ¹  “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

So the saying circulated ¹  among the brothers and sisters ²  that this disciple was not going to die. But Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but rather, “If I want him to live ³  until I come back, ⁴  what concern is that of yours?”

Therefore, if I come, ¹  I will call attention to the deeds he is doing ²  – the bringing of unjustified charges against us with evil words! And not being content with that, he not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but hinders the people who want to do so and throws them out of the church!