Study Desk

God put all things under Christ's feet and gave him to the church as supreme Lord over all things.

The church is Christ's body, the completion of him who himself completes all things everywhere.

in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.

to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.

For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.

And so wives must submit themselves completely to their husbands just as the church submits itself to Christ.

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.

He did this to dedicate the church to God by his word, after making it clean by washing it in water,

in order to present the church to himself in all its beauty—pure and faultless, without spot or wrinkle or any other imperfection.

(None of us ever hate our own bodies. Instead, we feed them, and take care of them, just as Christ does the church;

There is a deep secret truth revealed in this scripture, which I understand as applying to Christ and the church.

From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus— To all God's people in Philippi who are in union with Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and helpers:

and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault.

You Philippians know very well that when I left Macedonia in the early days of preaching the Good News, you were the only church to help me; you were the only ones who shared my profits and losses.

He is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things.

And now I am happy about my sufferings for you, for by means of my physical sufferings I am helping to complete what still remains of Christ's sufferings on behalf of his body, the church.

And I have been made a servant of the church by God, who gave me this task to perform for your good. It is the task of fully proclaiming his message,

Give our best wishes to the believers in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

After you read this letter, make sure that it is read also in the church at Laodicea. At the same time, you are to read the letter that the believers in Laodicea will send you.

From Paul, Silas, and Timothy— To the people of the church in Thessalonica, who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be yours.