Study Desk

God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.

As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her

He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.

This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.

This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God's holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons.

I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this.

Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.

I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.

God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.

Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them.