Comunidade
A comunidade cristã é essencial para o crescimento da fé. A Bíblia ensina que fomos criados para viver em comunhão — edificando-nos, encorajando-nos e servindo uns aos outros.
Viver em unidade
Os que creram eram um coração e uma alma. A comunidade primitiva partilhava tudo e vivia em harmonia e alegria.
The believers shared everything, and the apostles told others about Jesus.
The group of people who had believed in Jesus were completely agreed about what they thought and what they wanted/desired. Not one of them claimed that he alone owned anything. Instead, they shared with one another everything that they had.
They continually obeyed what the apostles taught, and they very frequently met together with the other believers. And they continually ate together and celebrated the Lord’s Supper, and continually prayed together.
Every day they continued meeting together in the temple area. And every day they gladly and generously shared their food [SYN] with each other, as they ate together and celebrated the Lord’s Supper in their houses. As they did so, they were praising God, and all the other people in Jerusalem were thinking favorably about them. As those things were happening, every day the Lord Jesus increased the number of people who were being saved {whom he was saving} from the guilt of their sins.
All these apostles agreed concerning the things about which they continually were praying together. Others who prayed with them included the women who had accompanied Jesus, Mary who was Jesus’ mother, and his younger brothers.
An angel freed Peter from prison.
So for several days Peter was kept {they kept Peter} in prison. But the other believers in the congregation at Jerusalem were praying earnestly to God that he would help Peter.
This is true, because wherever at least two or three of you assemble because you believe in me [MTY], I am spiritually present with you. I will hear what you ask for and I will ask God to do it for you."
Edificação mútua
Vivam em harmonia uns com os outros. Não haja divisões entre vós. A comunidade cresce quando cada membro contribui.
Stop dividing into groups in your congregations on the basis of which Christian leader you favor.
My fellow believers, by the authority of [MTY] our Lord Jesus Christ, I urgently appeal to all of you to agree with one another. What I mean is, stop dividing into groups. Instead, be united [MET] concerning what you understand about spiritual matters,, and be united in what you decide.
When we were baptized {When people baptized us}, the one Holy Spirit caused us to become one group of believers. It does not matter whether we are Jews or non-Jews. It does not matter whether we are slaves or not slaves. When we believed in Christ, the one Spirit came to live [MET] within all of us.
Although a person has one body, it consists of many parts. All of the parts are needed for the body, but they do not all function the same way. Similarly we, although we are many, are united into one group because of our relationship with Christ, and we belong to one another. So no one should act as though he is needed by God more than others are!
Desire for others what you desire for yourselves (OR, Live harmoniously with each other)! Do not do things because you want to be famous! Instead, be content to do tasks that others consider that only unimportant people do (OR, to associate with unimportant people). Do not consider yourselves wise.
Accept those who are not sure whether they are permitted to do certain things. Anyone who thinks that it is all right to eat all kinds of food must not despise those who do not think that, and those who do not think that it is all right to eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, because God has accepted them.
Accept those who are not sure whether God will permit them to do certain things some people think are wrong. But when you accept them, do not argue with them about what they think/their opinions.
May God enable you all to live harmoniously with each other.
God is the one who enables us to be patient and encourages us. ◄Ask/Pray to► him that he would enable you all to live harmoniously with each other, doing as Christ Jesus did.
Note those who are causing quarrels among you and those who cause people to turn away from God. Avoid them, because they only want to satisfy their own desires and deceive those who do not suspect their motives. If you avoid such people, God will soon crush Satan under your feet.
My fellow believers, I exhort you that you beware of those people who are causing divisions among you and who cause people to turn away from God [MTY] because they teach things that are contrary to the message about Christ that you have learned (OR, that others taught you). Keep away from such people!
Amor e compromisso
Não deixemos de congregar. O vínculo perfeito é o amor — ele une a comunidade e produz frutos que duram.
Since God faithfully does all that he promised to do, let us consider how each of us can motivate other believers, in order that believers will love each other, and in order that each one will do good things. We must not stop assembling ourselves to worship the Lord, as some people have done. Instead, each one of us must encourage/exhort other believers. Let us do that even more since we know that the day that the Lord will return [MTY] is near.
And what is more important than all of these is that you love one another, because by doing that you will be perfectly united together.
God’s Spirit has caused you to be united with one another, so do all that you can to remain united with one another by acting peacefully toward each other.
A psalm written for people going up to the temple to worship
It is very good and very pleasant
for God’s people to gather together harmoniously.
Agree with each other, love each other, be humble, and bless those who do evil things to you instead of retaliating.
To end this part of my letter, I say to all of you, agree with each other in what you think. Be sympathetic toward each other. Love each other as members of the same family should. Act compassionately toward each other. Be humble.
Dear friends, since God loves us like that, we certainly ought to love each other!
But living in a pure manner, as God is living in a pure manner [MET] in every way, is like living in God’s light. If we do that, we have a close relationship with each other. Not only that, but God ◄acquits us/removes the guilt► of all our sins because he accepts what his Son Jesus did for us when his blood flowed from his body when he died. So we should conduct our lives ◄in a manner according to what God says is pure►.
If you are believers, it does not matter to God if you are Jews or non-Jews; slaves or ones who are not slaves; males or females, because all of you are as one sort of person because of your relationship with Christ Jesus. Furthermore, since you belong to Christ, you are like Abraham’s descendants because you trust God as Abraham did, and you will possess/receive all that God has promised [MET].
Make sure that the congregation takes care of widows who have no one to care for them.
Listen to this carefully: Those who accept any one of you whom I am sending out, God will consider that they are accepting me. And those who accept me, God will consider that they are accepting my Father, who sent me."