Study Desk

Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have arrived.

No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. And I do not want you to become sharers in demons.

For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

In the Law it is written, "By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me," says the Lord.

Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and uninformed men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?"

and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me.

Now I exhort you, brothers (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for service to the saints),

And I rejoice over the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have supplied what was lacking on your part.

For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore recognize such men.

And He died for all, so that they who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

Or what agreement has a sanctuary of God with idols? For we are a sanctuary of the living God; just as God said,"I will dwell in them and walk among them;And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,

and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.

So I regarded it necessary to encourage the brothers that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised blessing, so that the same would be ready as a blessing and not as a begrudging obligation.

Because of the proven character given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the generosity of your fellowship toward them and toward all,

For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is weak and his words contemptible."