Study Desk

Knowing, brethren beloved by God, your election.

For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

For they themselves show of us what manner of entrance we had to you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God;

But even after we had suffered before, and were shamefully treated, as ye know, at Phillippi, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God with much contention.

But as we were allowed by God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our hearts.

For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God [is] witness:

So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted to you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear to us.

For ye remember, brethren, our labor and toil: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

Ye [are] witnesses, and God [also], how holily, and justly, and unblamably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you into his kingdom and glory.

For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard from us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things from your own countrymen, even as they [have] from the Jews:

Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:

And sent Timothy, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellow-laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:

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

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

To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort [you] by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and to please God, [so] ye would abound more and more.

For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from lewdness.

Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who know not God: