Study Desk

Christ died for everyone so that they would live for Him. They should not live to please themselves but for Christ Who died on a cross and was raised from the dead for them.

So from now on, we do not think about what people are like by looking at them. We even thought about Christ that way one time. But we do not think of Him that way anymore.

Christ never sinned but God put our sin on Him. Then we are made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.

Some men respect us and some do not. Some men speak bad against us and some thank us. They say we lie, but we speak the truth.

Some men act as if they do not know us. And yet we are known by everyone. They act as if we were dead, but we are alive. They try to hurt and destroy us, but they are not able to kill us.

Our hearts are not closed to you. But you have closed your hearts to us.

But God gives comfort to those whose hearts are heavy. He gave us comfort when Titus came.

Not only did his coming comfort us, but the comfort you had given him made me happy also. He told us how much you wanted to see us. He said that you were sad because of my trouble and that you wanted to help me. This made me happy.

I am not sorry now if my letter made you sad. I know it made you sad, but it was only for awhile.

I am happy now. It is not because you were hurt by my letter, but because it turned you from sin to God. God used it and you were not hurt by what we did.

The sorrow that God uses makes people sorry for their sin and leads them to turn from sin so they can be saved from the punishment of sin. We should be happy for that kind of sorrow, but the sorrow of this world brings death.

They have been put to the test by much trouble, but they have much joy. They have given much even though they were very poor.

I am not saying that you must do this, but I have told you how others have helped. This is a way to prove how true your love is.

You know of the loving-favor shown by our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, but He became poor for your good. In that way, because He became poor, you might become rich.

Not only that, but he has been asked by the churches to travel with me to Jerusalem. He will help in giving them the gift. The Lord will be honored by it because it shows how we want to help each other.

This gift you give not only helps Christians who are in need, but it also helps them give thanks to God.

I, Paul, ask you this myself. I do it through Christ Who is so gentle and kind. Some people say that I am gentle and quiet when I am with you, but that I have no fear and that my language is strong when I am away from you.

It is true, we live in a body of flesh. But we do not fight like people of the world.

But we will not talk with pride more than God allows us to. We will follow the plan of the work He has given us to do and you are a part of that work.

We did not go farther than we were supposed to go when we came to you. But we did come to you with the Good News of Christ.