Study Desk

Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.

Hear what God says: "When the time came for me to show you favor, I heard you; when the day arrived for me to save you, I helped you." Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!

I speak now as though you were my children: show us the same feelings that we have for you. Open your hearts wide!

Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done. How can right and wrong be partners? How can light and darkness live together?

How can God's temple come to terms with pagan idols? For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said, "I will make my home with my people and live among them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one; we have ruined no one, nor tried to take advantage of anyone.

I do not say this to condemn you; for, as I have said before, you are so dear to us that we are always together, whether we live or die.

For even if that letter of mine made you sad, I am not sorry I wrote it. I could have been sorry when I saw that it made you sad for a while.

For the sadness that is used by God brings a change of heart that leads to salvation—and there is no regret in that! But sadness that is merely human causes death.

And so his love for you grows stronger, as he remembers how all of you were ready to obey his instructions, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

they begged us and pleaded for the privilege of having a part in helping God's people in Judea.

It was more than we could have hoped for! First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God's will they gave themselves to us as well.

You are so rich in all you have: in faith, speech, and knowledge, in your eagerness to help and in your love for us. And so we want you to be generous also in this service of love.

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; rich as he was, he made himself poor for your sake, in order to make you rich by means of his poverty.

My opinion is that it is better for you to finish now what you began last year. You were the first, not only to act, but also to be willing to act.

How we thank God for making Titus as eager as we are to help you!

With him we are sending the brother who is highly respected in all the churches for his work in preaching the gospel.

And besides that, he has been chosen and appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this service of love for the sake of the Lord's glory and in order to show that we want to help.

As for Titus, he is my partner and works with me to help you; as for the other brothers who are going with him, they represent the churches and bring glory to Christ.

There is really no need for me to write you about the help being sent to God's people in Judea.