‘With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love’ (Ephesians 4:2).
‘Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 2:3-5).
’Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am’ (John 13:13).
‘And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve’ (Luke 22:24-26).
Meekness
‘With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love’ (Ephesians 4:2).
‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls’ (Matthew 11:29).
‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye’ (Colossians 3:12-13).
‘To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men’ (Titus 3:2).
‘With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love’ (Ephesians 4:2).
‘Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth’ (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).
‘Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in affliction, necessities, distresses, stripes, imprisonment, tumult, labor, watch, fasting; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things’ (2 Corinthians 6:3-10).
He can boldly discuss this with the Corinthians because of his devotion to them. Furthermore, he wrote,
‘O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people’ (2 Corinthians 6:1-16).
Forbearance
‘With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love… And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you’ (Ephesians 4:2, 32).
‘Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye’ (Colossians 3:13).
Love
‘With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love’ (Ephesians 4:2).
‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor’ (Ephesians 5:1-2).
‘We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also’ (1 John 4:19-21).
Unity
‘Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’ (Ephesians 4:3).
‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me’ (John 17:20-23).
‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him’ (1 Corinthians 12:12-18).
‘That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another’ (1 Corinthians 12:25).
