Study Desk

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

No one can see God, but Jesus Christ is exactly like him. He ranks higher than everything that has been made.

But now God has made you his friends again. He did this through Christ's death in the body so that he might bring you into God's presence as people who are holy, with no wrong, and with nothing of which God can judge you guilty.

This message is the secret that was hidden from everyone since the beginning of time, but now it is made known to God's holy people.

I say this so that no one can fool you by arguments that seem good, but are false.

These things were like a shadow of what was to come. But what is true and real has come and is found in Christ.

They seem to be wise, but they are only part of a human religion. They make people pretend not to be proud and make them punish their bodies, but they do not really control the evil desires of the sinful self.

But now also put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil words when you talk.

In the new life there is no difference between Greeks and Jews, those who are circumcised and those who are not circumcised, or people who are foreigners, or Scythians. There is no difference between slaves and free people. But Christ is in all believers, and Christ is all that is important.

Slaves, obey your masters in all things. Do not obey just when they are watching you, to gain their favor, but serve them honestly, because you respect the Lord.

But remember that anyone who does wrong will be punished for that wrong, and the Lord treats everyone the same.

because the Good News we brought to you came not only with words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with sure knowledge that it is true. Also you know how we lived when we were with you in order to help you.

And you became like us and like the Lord. You suffered much, but still you accepted the teaching with the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit.

And the Lord's teaching spread from you not only into Macedonia and Southern Greece, but now your faith in God has become known everywhere. So we do not need to say anything about it.

Before we came to you, we suffered in Philippi. People there insulted us, as you know, and many people were against us. But our God helped us to be brave and to tell you his Good News.

But we speak the Good News because God tested us and trusted us to do it. When we speak, we are not trying to please people, but God, who tests our hearts.

even though as apostles of Christ we could have used our authority over you. But we were very gentle with you, like a mother caring for her little children.

Because we loved you, we were happy to share not only God's Good News with you, but even our own lives. You had become so dear to us!

We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried to come more than once, but Satan stopped us.

But Timothy now has come back to us from you and has brought us good news about your faith and love. He told us that you always remember us in a good way and that you want to see us just as much as we want to see you.