Study Desk

Men like that are not working for our Lord Jesus Christ. They are chained to their own desires. With soft words they say things people want to hear. People are fooled by them.

I, Tertius, who am writing this letter for Paul, greet you as a Christian brother.

Gaius is the man taking care of me. The church meets here in his house. He greets you. Erastus, the man who takes care of the money for the city, says hello and Quartus does also. He is a Christian brother.

But now it is for us to know. The early preachers wrote about it. God says it is to be preached to all the people of the world so men can put their trust in God and obey Him.

I am thankful to God all the time for you. I am thankful for the loving-favor God has given to you because you belong to Christ Jesus.

He has made your lives rich in every way. Now you have power to speak for Him. He gave you good understanding.

This shows that what I told you about Christ and what He could do for you has been done in your lives.

You have the gifts of the Holy Spirit that you need while you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to come again.

Has Christ been divided? Was Paul put on a cross to die for your sins? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?

The Jews are looking for something special to see. The Greek people are looking for the answer in wisdom.

But we preach that Christ died on a cross to save them from their sins. These words are hard for the Jews to listen to. The Greek people think it is foolish.

Christ is the power and wisdom of God to those who are chosen to be saved from the punishment of sin for both Jews and Greeks.

God Himself made the way so you can have new life through Christ Jesus. God gave us Christ to be our wisdom. Christ made us right with God and set us apart for God and made us holy. Christ bought us with His blood and made us free from our sins.

What we preach is God's wisdom. It was a secret until now. God planned for us to have this honor before the world began.

The Holy Writings say, "No eye has ever seen or no ear has ever heard or no mind has ever thought of the wonderful things God has made ready for those who love Him."

For who has the thoughts of the Lord? Who can tell Him what to do? But we have the thoughts of Christ.

My teaching was as if I were giving you milk to drink. I could not give you meat because you were not ready for it. Even yet you are not able to have anything but milk.

For we work together with God. You are God's field. You are God's building also.

Jesus Christ is the Stone on which other stones for the building must be laid. It can be only Christ.

As for me, my heart tells me I am not guilty of anything. But that does not prove I am free from guilt. It is the Lord Who looks into my life and says what is wrong.