Bible verses about "welfare" | WNT

¹ As for us who are strong, our duty is to bear with the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not seek our own pleasure. ² Let each of us endeavour to please his fellow Christian, aiming at a blessing calculated to build him up.

¹⁷ Pay back to no man evil for evil. TAKE THOUGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND SEEMLY IN EVERY ONE'S ESTEEM. ¹⁸ If you can, so far as it depends on you, live at peace with all the world. ¹⁹ Do not be revengeful, my dear friends, but give way before anger; for it is written, "'REVENGE BELONGS TO ME: I WILL PAY BACK,' says the Lord." ²⁰ On the contrary, therefore, IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, GIVE HIM FOOD; IF HE IS THIRSTY, QUENCH HIS THIRST. FOR BY DOING THIS YOU WILL BE HEAPING BURNING COALS UPON HIS HEAD. ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with goodness.

⁸ nor did we eat any one's bread without paying for it, but we laboured and toiled, working hard night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you.

² united by mutual love, with harmony of feeling giving your minds to one and the same object. ³ Do nothing in a spirit of factiousness or of vainglory, but, with true humility, let every one regard the rest as being of more account than himself; ⁴ each fixing his attention, not simply on his own interests, but on those of others also. ⁵ Let the same disposition be in you which was in Christ Jesus. ⁶ Although from the beginning He had the nature of God He did not reckon His equality with God a treasure to be tightly grasped. ⁷ Nay, He stripped Himself of His glory, and took on Him the nature of a bondservant by becoming a man like other men. ⁸ And being recognized as truly human, He humbled Himself and even stooped to die; yes, to die on a cross.

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.

⁶ But, by the authority of the Lord, we command you, brethren, to stand aloof from every brother whose life is disorderly and not in accordance with the teaching which all received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know that it is your duty to follow our example. There was no disorder in our lives among you, ⁸ nor did we eat any one's bread without paying for it, but we laboured and toiled, working hard night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you. ⁹ This was not because we had not a claim upon you, but it arose from a desire to set you an example--for you to imitate us. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we laid down this rule for you: "If a man does not choose to work, neither shall he eat." ¹¹ For we hear that there are some of you who live disorderly lives and are mere idle busybodies. ¹² To persons of that sort our injunction--and our command by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ--is that they are to work quietly and eat their own honestly-earned bread.

³⁵ In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"