Study Desk

He will change our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body. Christ can do this by his power, with which he is able to rule everything.

And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God's peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.

My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.

that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. Then you will be happy

and give thanks to the Father. He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light.

God made us free from the power of darkness. And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

Through his power all things were made: things in heaven and on earth, seen and not seen— all spiritual rulers, lords, powers, and authorities. Everything was made through him and for him.

And through him, God was happy to bring all things back to himself again— things on earth and things in heaven. God made peace by using the blood sacrifice of his Son on the cross.

At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in your minds, because the evil you did was against him.

But now he has made you his friends again. He did this by the death Christ suffered while he was in his body. He did it so that he could present you to himself as people who are holy, blameless, and without anything that would make you guilty before him.

I am happy in my sufferings for you. There is much that Christ must still suffer. And I gladly accept my part of those sufferings in my body for the good of his body, the church.

God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.

I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth.

Yes, Christ is now your life, and when he comes again, you will share in his glory.

God will show his anger against those who don't obey him, because they do these evil things.

God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient.

Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, who will give you what he promised his people. Yes, you are serving Christ. He is your real Master.

Also pray for us. Pray that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message. I am in prison for doing this. But pray that we can continue to tell people the secret truth that God has made known about Christ.

Aristarchus, the one here in prison with me, sends you his greetings. Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, also sends his greetings. (I have already told you what to do about Mark. If he comes, welcome him.)

Epaphras, another servant of Jesus Christ from your group, sends his greetings. He constantly struggles for you in prayer. He prays that you will grow to be spiritually mature and have everything that God wants for you.