Study Desk

So my brothers and sisters, continue to give your attention to prophesying. And don't stop anyone from using the gift of speaking in different languages.

So then it is not important if I told you God's message or if it was the other apostles who told you—we all tell people the same message, and this is what you believed.

We tell everyone that Christ was raised from death. So why do some of you say that people will not be raised from death?

After everything has been put under Christ, then the Son himself will be put under God. God is the one who put everything under Christ. And Christ will be put under God so that God will be the complete ruler over everything.

The body that is "planted" is a physical body. When it is raised, it will be a spiritual body. There is a physical body. So there is also a spiritual body.

We were made like that man of earth, so we will also be made like that man of heaven.

So this body that ruins will clothe itself with that which never ruins. And this body that dies will clothe itself with that which never dies. When this happens, the Scriptures will be made true: "Death is swallowed in victory."

So, my dear brothers and sisters, stand strong. Don't let anything change you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.

I plan to go through Macedonia, so I will come to you after that.

So none of you should refuse to accept Timothy. Help him continue on his trip in peace so that he can come back to me. I am expecting him to come back with the other brothers.

He comforts us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us.

If we have troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is so that we can comfort you. And this helps you patiently accept the same sufferings we have.

Our hope for you is strong. We know that you share in our sufferings. So we know that you also share in our comfort.

In fact, it seems like God has been telling us we are going to die. But this is so that we will not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from death.

So I decided that my next visit to you would not be another visit to make you sad.

I wrote you a letter so that when I came to you I would not be made sad by those who should make me happy. I felt sure that all of you would share my joy.

So I beg you to show him that you love him.

I did this so that Satan would not win anything from us. We know very well what his plans are.

But I had no peace because I did not find my brother Titus. So I said goodbye and went to Macedonia.

To those who are being lost, this perfume smells like death, and it brings them death. But to those who are being saved, it has the sweet smell of life, and it brings them life. So who is good enough to do this work?