Study Desk

It may be that some there will not obey the message we send you in this letter. If so, take note of them and have nothing to do with them, so that they will be ashamed.

He must be mature in the faith, so that he will not swell up with pride and be condemned, as the Devil was.

He should be a man who is respected by the people outside the church, so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the Devil's trap.

Give them these instructions, so that no one will find fault with them.

But if any Christian woman has widows in her family, she must take care of them and not put the burden on the church, so that it may take care of the widows who are all alone.

Rebuke publicly all those who commit sins, so that the rest may be afraid.

Those who are slaves must consider their masters worthy of all respect, so that no one will speak evil of the name of God and of our teaching.

I remember your tears, and I want to see you very much, so that I may be filled with joy.

so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.

But the Lord stayed with me and gave me strength, so that I was able to proclaim the full message for all the Gentiles to hear; and I was rescued from being sentenced to death.

I left you in Crete, so that you could put in order the things that still needed doing and appoint church elders in every town. Remember my instructions:

It was a Cretan himself, one of their own prophets, who spoke the truth when he said, "Cretans are always liars, wicked beasts, and lazy gluttons." For this reason you must rebuke them sharply, so that they may have a healthy faith

to be self-controlled and pure, and to be good housewives who submit themselves to their husbands, so that no one will speak evil of the message that comes from God.

Use sound words that cannot be criticized, so that your enemies may be put to shame by not having anything bad to say about us.

so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for.

This is a true saying. I want you to give special emphasis to these matters, so that those who believe in God may be concerned with giving their time to doing good deeds, which are good and useful for everyone.

I would like to keep him here with me, while I am in prison for the gospel's sake, so that he could help me in your place.

It may be that Onesimus was away from you for a short time so that you might have him back for all time.

That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away.

But we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, so that through God's grace he should die for everyone. We see him now crowned with glory and honor because of the death he suffered.