Love
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
There is another aspect of this section that features a rather noticeable style, one found in the original and not lost in the translation. Note the short, choppy sentences. The Greek language was admirably suited for putting together long, balanced sentences through the use of connecting words. For independent clauses to stand alone without connecting words was a highly unusual feature. That, however, is the literary form Paul uses from here until the end of the chapter. The result is short, staccato sentences, which some people have called “miscellaneous encouragements”—individual statements set next to each other somewhat like a bulleted list or the subpoints of an outline. The five items listed in verses 12 and 13 are a typical example:
• Be joyful in hope,
• patient in affliction,
• faithful in prayer.
• Share with God’s people who are in need.
• Practice hospitality.