¹⁶ Let ^(A)the word of ^[a]Christ richly dwell within you, ^[b]with all wisdom ^(B)teaching and admonishing ^[c]one another ^(C)with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, ^(D)singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

²¹ if indeed you ^(A)have heard Him and have ^(B)been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

¹³ In ^[a]Him, ^[b]you also, after listening to ^(A)the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also ^[c]believed, you were ^(B)sealed in ^[d]Him with ^(C)the Holy Spirit of the promise,

⁸ But what does it say? “^(A)The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

¹⁷ So faith comes from ^(A)hearing, and hearing by ^(B)the word ^[a]of Christ.

¹² It is not in heaven, ^[a]that you could say, ‘^(A)Who will go up to heaven for us and get it for us, and proclaim it to us, so that we may ^[b]follow it?’ ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, ^[c]that you could say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us and get it for us and proclaim it to us, so that we may ^[d]follow it?’ ¹⁴ On the contrary, the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may ^[e]follow it.

¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him ^(A)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are ^(B)strong, and the ^(C)word of God remains in you, and ^(D)you have overcome the evil one.

The Incarnate Word

1 What was ^(A)from the beginning, what we have ^(B)heard, what we have ^(C)seen with our eyes, what we ^(D)have looked at and ^(E)touched with our hands, concerning the ^(F)Word of Life—

²³ for you have been ^(A)born again ^(B)not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring ^(C)word of God.