Study Desk

If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.

And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.

I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence,

Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace.

my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,

Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.

But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you.

And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you.

By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others,

while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge?

And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.