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Stepping stones to manhood
Stepping stones to manhood

Chapter XXXVIII · Be Loving

Chapter XXXVIII of Stepping stones to manhood, “Be Loving,” is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”
(1 John 4:7).
When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”
Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.
It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Stepping stones to manhood

Chapter XXXVIII · Be Loving

Chapter XXXVIII of Stepping stones to manhood, “Be Loving,” is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”
/ɪt ɪz rɪˈleɪtɪd ʌv ðə əˈpɑːsəl dʒɑːn ðæt wen oʊld ənd ˈfiːbəl hiː wɑːz bɔːrn baɪ hɪz dɪˈsaɪpəlz tuː ðə haʊs ʌv ɡɑːd wer ˈspredɪŋ hɪz hændz hiː əˈdrest ðə ˈpiːpəl əˈɡen ənd əˈɡen lʌv wʌn əˈnʌðər/
Line 2
(1 John 4:7).
Line 3
When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”
Line 4
Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.
/lʌv ɪz ðə ˈɡreɪtəst θɪŋ ɪn ðə wɜːrld ðə ˈpɪvət ɑːn wɪtʃ ðə kəˈmændmənts tɜːrn ðə ˈpɪlər ʌv ðə ˈkrɪstʃən rɪˈlɪdʒən ənd ðə ˈkiːstoʊn ɪn ðə ɑːrtʃ ʌv ˈaʊər sælˈveɪʃən/
Line 5
It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.
/ɪt ɪz ə haɪt wɪˈθaʊt tɑːp depθ wɪˈθaʊt ˈbɑːtəm ənd leŋkθ ənd bredθ wɪˈθaʊt ˈbaʊn.də.ri/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Apostle noun US /əˈpɑːsəl/

an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform

From this reading “It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.””

attain verb US /əˈteɪn/

to gain with effort

From this reading “When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.””

boundary noun US /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/

A line that marks the limits of an area.

From this reading “It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.”

commandments noun US /kəˈmændmənts/

plural of “commandment” — something that is commanded

From this reading “Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.”

disciples noun US /dɪˈsaɪpəlz/

plural of “disciple” — someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another

From this reading “It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.””

keystone noun US /ˈkiːstoʊn/

a central cohesive source of support and stability

From this reading “Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.”

pillar noun US /ˈpɪlər/

a fundamental principle or practice

From this reading “Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.”

pivot verb US /ˈpɪvət/

turn on a pivot

From this reading “Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

in the world preposition + article + noun counted as “in … world”

In this reading “Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.”

All words in this reading · 72

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading (1 John 4:7).

4

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading (1 John 4:7).

7

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading (1 John 4:7).

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.

addressedadjectiveUS /əˈdrest/

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

ApostlenounUS /əˈpɑːsəl/

an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

archnounUS /ɑːrtʃ/

a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

attainverbUS /əˈteɪn/

to gain with effort

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

BecauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

borneverbUS /bɔːrn/

inflected form of “bear” — have

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

bottomnounUS /ˈbɑːtəm/

the lower side of anything

From this reading It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.

boundarynounUS /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/

A line that marks the limits of an area.

From this reading It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.

breadthnounUS /bredθ/

the capacity to understand a broad range of topics

From this reading It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

ChristianadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪstʃən/

relating to or characteristic of Christianity

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

commandmentsnounUS /kəˈmændmənts/

plural of “commandment” — something that is commanded

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

depthnounUS /depθ/

the extent downward or backward or inward

From this reading It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.

disciplesnounUS /dɪˈsaɪpəlz/

plural of “disciple” — someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

else

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

feebleadjectiveUS /ˈfiːbəl/

pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/

highest in quality

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

heightnounUS /haɪt/

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

keystonenounUS /ˈkiːstoʊn/

a central cohesive source of support and stability

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.

LovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

pillarnounUS /ˈpɪlər/

a fundamental principle or practice

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

pivotverbUS /ˈpɪvət/

turn on a pivot

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

relatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈleɪtɪd/

being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

religionnounUS /rɪˈlɪdʒən/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

repeatedadjectiveUS /rɪˈpiːtɪd/

recurring again and again

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

salvationnounUS /sælˈveɪʃən/

(theology) the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

spreadingnounUS /ˈspredɪŋ/

process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading It is related of the Apostle John that when old and feeble he was borne by his disciples to the House of God, where, spreading his hands, he addressed the people again and again: “Love one another.”

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading It is a height without top, depth without bottom, and length and breadth without boundary.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Love is the greatest thing in the world, the pivot on which the commandments turn, the pillar of the Christian religion and the keystone in the arch of our salvation.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading When asked why he repeated it so often, he answered: “Because there is nothing else, attain that and you have enough.”

Chapter 38 of Stepping stones to manhood by William Peter Pearce holds 174 sentences, grouped into 35 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 38 of Stepping stones to manhood contain?

Chapter 38 holds 174 sentences of Stepping stones to manhood, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of Stepping stones to manhood by William Peter Pearce exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 174 sentences, grouped into 35 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 38 of Stepping stones to manhood?

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Each of the 35 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

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