Study Desk

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.

I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children.

For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.

When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,

But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.

I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?

Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast.

Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.

To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.

If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.