Bible verses about "struggles" | JMNT

⁶ Jesus then says to him, "I Myself am (exist being) the Way (or: Path), the Truth (the Reality) and the Life (or: = I am the way to really live). No one is presently going to, or progressively coming toward, the Father, except through Me (through means of Me, or, through the midst of Me).

¹⁹ Or, have you folks not seen so as to know that your body (or: the body of you folks) is a temple of the set-apart spirit (or: a sanctuary belonging to the Holy Spirit; a holy place and a holy of holies which pertains to the Sacred Breath; or: that the body, which is you folks, exists being a divine habitation which has the qualities and characteristics of the Holy Attitude) – within the midst of you (or: in union with you folks; or: among you people) – which you people constantly hold and progressively possess from God? And further, you are not folks belonging to yourselves (or: Also then, you people do not exist from yourselves), ²⁰ for you people were bought, as at a marketplace: [there was] value and honor involved in the price (or: [you are] of value) (or: = for you were bought and paid for; or: for from a valuable price you folks were bought at market). By all means then, glorify God (bring a good reputation to God; manifest that which calls forth praise to God) within your body (or: within the midst of the body which you folks are)!

¹⁹ Now the works (actions; deeds) of the flesh [religion] (or: = whose source and origin are the estranged human nature; or: pertaining to the flesh [system, or, nature]; or: = whose results and realm are the self in slavery to a system) [are] seen and made apparent in clear light, which are, and continue being, the works of a prostitute (or: [the] Prostitute): uncleanness (or: waste or worthless material, as of decayed flesh; a never-pruned tree; material that has not been sifted), excess (immoderation; outrageous behavior), ²⁰ idolatry (being a servant to or worshiping external forms or appearances, phantoms of the mind, unsubstantial or reflected images, or conveyed impressions) sorcery (employment of drugs and enchantments; magic rites; witchcraft), hostilities (enmities; alienations), strife (contentious disposition), jealousies (or: zealous emotions), stirring emotions (rushing passions; furies), factions, standings-apart (divisions), sects (religious denominations; parties with a particular opinion; the making of choices from preferences), ²¹ envies, murders, intoxications (times of being drunk), festal processions (or: excessive feastings), and things like to these [whether religious, or personal], which things I continue predicting (saying beforehand; or: = giving warning) to you folks, just as I said before, that those habitually practicing (or: performing) such [religious, or personal,] things will not be inheriting (receiving and enjoying a distributed allotment of) God's reign (kingdom; sovereign influence and activities).

²² Now it occurred on one of those days, [that] He, as well as His disciples, stepped into a sailing vessel (ship; boat; bark) and He said to them, "Let us pass through (= cross) unto the other side of the lake." ²³ Then they were led up [upon the water] (= they shoved off), yet [after a time], during their sailing, He fell asleep. Then a furious, violent windstorm (squall; whirlwind; hurricane) suddenly descended into the lake, and they began being completely filled (swamped) with [water] and continued to be in danger. ²⁴ So then, after approaching, they got Him fully awake, repeatedly saying, "Captain (or: Commander; Chief; = Boss; perhaps: Instructor), we are progressively losing ourselves (or: we, ourselves, are presently perishing)!" Now He, having been fully aroused, gave a respectful directive to the wind and to the violent surging of the water – and it came to be calm (or: a stillness was birthed on the surface of the water). ²⁵ And so He said to them, "Where [is] your confidence, trust and faith?" Now, having been caused to fear (or: being afraid), they marveled with amazement, in turn saying to one another, "Who really is this Man, that to even the winds and to the water He now applies directives (or: gives orders and adds arrangements)? – and in submissive hearing they continue giving obedience to Him!"

¹⁰ But you! Why are you constantly judging (discriminating against; separating away; making a decision about) your brother (= fellow believer; or: = fellowman)? Or why are you also habitually making light of (making nothing out of; setting at naught; treating with scorn or contempt) your brother? For you see, we will all continue standing in attendance alongside on God's elevated place (platform or stage which is ascended by steps, from which one speaks in a public assembly; or: we will all repeatedly present ourselves at the seat, dais or throne which is God [some MSS: Christ]), ¹¹ for it has been written, "I, Myself, am continuously living. The Lord [= Yahweh] is saying that in Me (by Me; to Me; for Me) every knee will repeatedly bend in worship, or, to sit down (or: I live, says the Lord, because every knee will repeatedly bend to sit down in Me), and every tongue will continue to agree, bind itself and promise to God (speak out of the same word in God; publicly acclaim/acknowledge God; openly profess by God)." [Isa. 45:23] ¹² Consequently, then, each one of us will continue giving a word (presenting a message; rendering an account) about himself to God (or: for God; by God; in God). ¹³ No longer, then, should we continue judging (making decisions about; discriminating against; separating away) one another, but rather, to a greater extent you folks must decide this: not to continue placing (or: setting) the stumbling-block (that which results in tripping) for or in the brother; neither a snare (a trap-spring; a cause for tripping or becoming trapped).

³ For though habitually walking about and ordering our behavior within [the] flesh (= in a physical body; or: = in the human condition), we are not waging warfare (or: performing military service) in correspondence and accord to flesh (= on the level of estranged or enslaved humanity, or in line with human condition; or: = in the sphere of old covenant Jewish reasonings), ⁴ for you see, the tools and weapons of our military service and warfare [are] not fleshly (= do not pertain to our human condition; [“are not the weapons of the Domination System” – Walter Wink]), but rather, [are] powerful ones and capable ones in God (or: by God), [focused] toward [the] pulling down (demolition) of effects of fortifications (or: strongholds; strongly entrenched positions [of the “Domination System” – Walter Wink, Engaging the Powers]), ⁵ progressively tearing down and demolishing conceptions (concepts; the effects of thoughts, calculations, imaginations, reasonings and reflections) and every height (or: high position; high-effect) and lofty [attitude, purpose or obstacle] that is habitually lifting itself up against (or: elevating itself up on so as to put down) the intimate and experiential knowledge of God, and then taking captive every thought – one after another – and leading them prisoner into the hearing obedience of the Christ (or: the humble attentive listening, which comes from the Anointed One; or: the submissive paying attention, which is the Anointing),

¹ So constantly reach toward and receive in your arms (take as a companion, admit to your society and friendship, and partner with) the one continuing without strength in the faith (the person weak in trust, confidence and loyalty) – not [putting him] into separated distinctions (or: discriminations) based upon or pertaining to opinions (or: reasoned considerations; thought processes; dialogues or disputes; things being thought through; thoroughly considered and settled accounts).

²⁸ Now [look], we have seen, and thus know and are aware, that to those habitually or progressively loving God – to the folks being called and invited according to [the] purpose (or: for, in and with the people progressively experiencing love for God – in, with, by and for the people being invited down from an advanced placing, congruent with a design and corresponding to a before-placing and a prior setting forth) – He is constantly working all things together into good and is progressively working all humanity together into that which is advantageous, worthy of admiration, noble and of excellent qualities. [with other MSS: Yet we know that God is continuously joining everything together (or: working together with everything) into goodness by those continuously loving God'85]

² My brothers (= fellow Israelites, or, fellow believers; = My family), lead every rejoicing (or: lead the path of all joy) whenever you may fall into – so as to be encompassed by – various trials (or: multi-faceted ordeals; [a tapestry of] tests and provings; or: experiments and attempts of varying hues), ³ habitually knowing by intimate experience and insight that the thing by means of which your faith, trust and confidence is proved (tested and accepted) is continually producing (or: is progressively working down-in the results of) persistent patient endurance (a steadfast remaining and dwelling under some ordeal or situation; or: a holding up under sustained attacks; or: a relentless giving of sustaining support). ⁴ But patient endurance (remaining under and/or sustained support) must habitually be having a work brought to completion (a complete action; a perfect work; a mature production which reaches its goal) to the intent that you may be (or: can exist as) perfect ones (complete, matured and finished folks who have attained the goal), even ones having an entire allotment (or: whole folks having every part), being left behind in nothing (or: lacking not one thing).

¹³ No trial (or: ordeal; temptation; putting to the proof; effect of probing and testing) has laid hold of or seized you folks except a human one (something pertaining to the human nature and situation). Now God [is] faithful, loyal, trustworthy, and full of faith and trust – One who will not permit (let, allow; or: let go; leave alone) you folks to be tested, tried, tempted or made to undergo an ordeal above (or: over; = beyond) that which you people continue having ability and power [to handle or endure], but to the contrary, together with the trial (or: ordeal), He will also continually make the way out (the egress; or: He also will habitually do the stepping forth from out of the midst; or: He will even progressively construct the out-come) to continually enable and repeatedly empower you folks to undergo [it] (to bear up under [it]; to carry on under [it], sustain [it], and lead on).

¹⁰ Now the God of all grace and favor (or: the God whose character and quality is all grace and favor; the God Who is every grace and joyous favor), the One calling (or: inviting) you folks – ones experiencing a little and briefly suffering – into His eonian glory (His glory and reputation which has the quality and characteristics pertaining to the realm of the Age and which continues on into an unseen and indefinite time) within Christ Jesus [with other MSS: in union with the Anointed One (= the Messiah)], the Same One (or: He) will continue getting [things, or, you] down and prepare [them, or, you] (or: repair [them; you]; fit, knit or adjust [them; you] thoroughly), will continue setting [things; you] fast and establish [them; you], will continue imparting strength (will make [things; you] strong), [and] will progressively set a base upon which to ground and found [things and you]: