Study Desk

We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers,

remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.

We know, brothers loved by God, that you are chosen,

For from you has sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth; so that we need not to say anything.

For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,

but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the gospel of God in much conflict.

But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.

For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness),

Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.

For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

You are witnesses with God, how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe.

to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.

For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews;

who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and didn't please God, and are contrary to all men;

For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God;

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you;

to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, -- that you abound more and more.

For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,