Bible verses about "diversity" | WNT

¹⁰ There are, we will suppose, a great number of languages in the world, and no creature is without a language.

¹⁶ Have full sympathy with one another. Do not give your mind to high things, but let humble ways content you. DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN CONCEITS.

¹² For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all its parts, many as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with the Church of Christ.

¹⁵ Were the foot to say, "Because I am not a hand I am not a part of the body," that would not make it any the less a part of the body. ¹⁶ Or were the ear to say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," that would not make it any the less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the nostrils be? ¹⁸ But, as a matter of fact, God has arranged the parts in the body--every one of them--as He has seen fit. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be?

¹ I now pass to another subject. Receive as a friend a man whose faith is weak, but not for the purpose of deciding mere matters of opinion. ² One man's faith allows him to eat anything, while a man of weaker faith eats nothing but vegetables. ³ Let not him who eats certain food look down upon him who abstains from it, nor him who abstains from it find fault with him who eats it; for God has received both of them. ⁴ Who are you that you should find fault with the servant of another? Whether he stands or falls is a matter which concerns his own master. But stand he will; for the Master can give him power to stand. ⁵ One man esteems one day more highly than another; another esteems all days alike. Let every one be thoroughly convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who regards the day as sacred, so regards it for the Master's sake; and he who eats certain food eats it for the Master's sake, for he gives thanks to God; and he who refrains from eating it refrains for the Master's sake, and he also gives thanks to God. ⁷ For not one of us lives to himself, and not one dies to himself. ⁸ If we live, we live to the Lord: if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this was the purpose of Christ's dying and coming to life--namely that He might be Lord both of the dead and the living. ¹⁰ But you, why do you find fault with your brother? Or you, why do you look down upon your brother? We shall all stand before God to be judged; ¹¹ for it is written, "'AS I LIVE,' says the Lord, 'TO ME EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL MAKE CONFESSION TO GOD.'" ¹² So we see that every one of us will give account of himself to God. ¹³ Therefore let us no longer judge one another; but, instead of that, you should come to this judgement--that we must not put a stumbling-block in our brother's path, nor anything to trip him up. ¹⁴ As one who lives in union with the Lord Jesus, I know and am certain that in its own nature no food is 'impure'; but if people regard any food as impure, to them it is. ¹⁵ If your brother is pained by the food you are eating, your conduct is no longer controlled by love. Take care lest, by the food you eat, you lead to ruin a man for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let the boon which is yours in common be exposed to reproach. ¹⁷ For the Kingdom of God does not consist of eating and drinking, but of right conduct, peace and joy, through the Holy Spirit; ¹⁸ and whoever in this way devotedly serves Christ, God takes pleasure in him, and men highly commend him. ¹⁹ Therefore let us aim at whatever makes for peace and mutual upbuilding of character. ²⁰ Do not for food's sake be throwing down God's work. All food is pure; but a man is in the wrong if his food is a snare to others. ²¹ The right course is to forego eating meat or drinking wine or doing anything that tends to your brother's fall. ²² As for you and your faith, keep your faith to yourself in the presence of God. The man is to be congratulated who does not pronounce judgement on himself in what his actions sanction. ²³ But he who has misgivings and yet eats meat is condemned already, because his conduct is not based on faith; for all conduct not based on faith is sinful.

¹ My brethren, you must not make distinctions between one man and another while you are striving to maintain faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our glory. ² For suppose a man comes into one of your meetings wearing gold rings and fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man wearing shabby clothes, ³ and you pay court to the one who wears the fine clothes, and say, "Sit here; this is a good place;" while to the poor man you say, "Stand there, or sit on the floor at my feet;" ⁴ is it not plain that in your hearts you have little faith, seeing that you have become judges full of wrong thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my dearly-loved brethren. Has not God chosen those whom the world regards as poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to those that love Him? ⁶ But *you* have put dishonour upon the poor man. Yet is it not the rich who grind you down? Are not they the very people who drag you into the Law courts? -- ⁷ and the very people who speak evil of the noble Name by which you are called? ⁸ If, however, you are keeping the Law as supreme, in obedience to the Commandment which says "YOU ARE TO LOVE YOUR FELLOW MAN JUST AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF," you are acting rightly. ⁹ But if you are making distinctions between one man and another, you are guilty of sin, and are convicted by the Law as offenders. ¹⁰ A man who has kept the Law as a whole, but has failed to keep some one command, has become guilty of violating all. ¹¹ For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER," and if you are a murderer, although not an adulterer, you have become an offender against the Law. ¹² Speak and act as those should who are expecting to be judged by the Law of freedom. ¹³ For he who shows no mercy will have judgement given against him without mercy; but mercy triumphs over judgement. ¹⁴ What good is it, my brethren, if a man professes to have faith, and yet his actions do not correspond? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵ Suppose a Christian brother or sister is poorly clad or lacks daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, "I wish you well; keep yourselves warm and well fed," and yet you do not give them what they need; what is the use of that? ¹⁷ So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it--so long as it stands alone. ¹⁸ Nay, some one will say, "You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one, and you are quite right: evil spirits also believe this, and shudder." ²⁰ But, idle boaster, are you willing to be taught how it is that faith apart from obedience is worthless? Take the case of Abraham our forefather. ²¹ Was it, or was it not, because of his actions that he was declared to be righteous as the result of his having offered up his son Isaac upon the altar? ²² You notice that his faith was co-operating with his actions, and that by his actions his faith was perfected; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND HIS FAITH WAS PLACED TO HIS CREDIT AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he received the name of 'God's friend.' ²⁴ You all see that it is because of actions that a man is pronounced righteous, and not simply because of faith. ²⁵ In the same way also was not the notorious sinner Rahab declared to be righteous because of her actions when she welcomed the spies and hurriedly helped them to escape another way? ²⁶ For just as a human body without a spirit is lifeless, so also faith is lifeless if it is unaccompanied by obedience.

¹⁶ For in Him was created the universe of things in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, thrones, dominions, princedoms, powers--all were created, and exist through and for Him. ¹⁷ And HE IS before all things and in and through Him the universe is a harmonious whole.

⁹ After this I looked, and a vast host appeared which it was impossible for anyone to count, gathered out of every nation and from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in long white robes, and carrying palm-branches in their hands.