Study Desk

As a result, the whole palace guard and all the others here know that I am in prison because I am a servant of Christ.

Of course some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine good will.

These do so from love, because they know that God has given me the work of defending the gospel.

because I know that by means of your prayers and the help which comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ I shall be set free.

Don't be afraid of your enemies; always be courageous, and this will prove to them that they will lose and that you will win, because it is God who gives you the victory.

because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose.

as you offer them the message of life. If you do so, I shall have reason to be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because it will show that all my effort and work have not been wasted.

He is anxious to see you all and is very upset because you had heard that he was sick.

because he risked his life and nearly died for the sake of the work of Christ, in order to give me the help that you yourselves could not give.

They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world.

And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have.

At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought.

You were at one time spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were Gentiles without the Law. But God has now brought you to life with Christ. God forgave us all our sins;

Do not allow yourselves to be condemned by anyone who claims to be superior because of special visions and who insists on false humility and the worship of angels. For no reason at all, such people are all puffed up by their human way of thinking

Because of such things God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him.

Slaves, obey your human masters in all things, not only when they are watching you because you want to gain their approval; but do it with a sincere heart because of your reverence for the Lord.

And all wrongdoers will be repaid for the wrong things they do, because God judges everyone by the same standard.

Instead, we always speak as God wants us to, because he has judged us worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do not try to please people, but to please God, who tests our motives.

Because of our love for you we were ready to share with you not only the Good News from God but even our own lives. You were so dear to us!

so that none of you should turn back because of these persecutions. You yourselves know that such persecutions are part of God's will for us.