lives in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
May good-will and peace be granted to you.
We thank God always for you all and mention you in our prayers, for we
constantly remember before our God and Father your active faith and
loving service and firm hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
You yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not without
results. At Philippi, as you remember, we had the courage through divine
help to tell you the good news of God even though we had been ill
treated and insulted. We loved you so much and you had become so dear to
us that we would gladly have given to you not only God's good news, but
also our very lives.
Brothers, you remember our hard labor and toil, how we worked at our
trade night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, while we
told you God's good news. You are witnesses, and so is God, that our
dealings with you who believe in Christ were pure, just, and beyond
reproach, and that we treated each of you as a father treats his own
children, persuading and encouraging you, and appealing to you to live
so that you would be worthy of the God who calls you to his own Kingdom
and glory.
We thank God constantly for this also, that when you received God's
message from us you accepted it not as a mere word of man but for what
it really is, the message of God, which even now is doing its work in
the hearts of you who believe. You have begun to follow the example of
the churches of God in Judea which are united with Jesus Christ, for you
have suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they have
suffered from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus.
Brothers, when we were torn away from you for a little time (out of
sight but not out of mind!), we were exceedingly eager to see you face
to face. We did want to come to you--I, Paul, did more than once, but
Satan put difficulties in our way. For who is "our hope, our joy, our
crown" of which we have a right to be proud? Is it not you? For you are
our glory and our joy!
So when I could stand it no longer, I decided that it was best to remain
alone at Athens and send Timothy, our brother and God's servant in
telling the good news about Christ, to strengthen your faith and so to
encourage you that none of you might be disturbed by the troubles
through which you are passing, for you know that we must have them.
But now that Timothy has just come back and brought me the good news of
your faith and love and how you always remember me lovingly, longing to
see me as I long to see you, I have been comforted, brothers, in all my
distress and trouble by your faith.
How can we thank God enough for all the joy that comes to us through
you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see your faces and
supply whatever is lacking in your faith. May our God and Father himself
and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, and may the Lord make your
love for one another and for all men grow ever greater, even as does our
love for you, so as to make your hearts strong and your characters
without fault in the sight of our God and Father.
I solemnly charge you in the name of the Lord to have this letter read
aloud to all the brothers. The love of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you.
PAUL'S WORK AT CORINTH
And Paul left the place and went to the home of Titius Justus, who
worshipped God, whose house was next to the synagogue. Crispus, the
president of the synagogue, and all his family, believed in the Lord;
and many of the Corinthians when they heard Paul, believed and were
baptized. One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be
afraid, but speak and do not stop, for I am with you and no one shall
harm you; I have many followers in this city." So Paul lived there a
year and a half and taught them the word of God.
But when Gallio was governor of Greece, the Jews joined in an attack on
Paul and brought him before the court on the charge that he led people
to worship God contrary to the law. But just as Paul was about to speak,
Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were something about wrong-doing or a
serious crime, there would be some reason for my listening to you, O
Jews; but if these are only questions about names and your own law, take
care of them yourselves. I do not wish to be a judge of matters like
these." And he drove them out of the court. Then all the people caught
hold of Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, and beat him in front
of the court; but Gallio paid no attention to these things. Paul, after
staying some time longer in Corinth, said good-by to the brothers and
with Priscilla and Aquila, sailed for Syria.
PAUL WRITES TO HIS FRIENDS IN CORINTH
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and
brother Sosthenes to the church of God at Corinth.
I thank God continually for the blessing which he has given you through
Jesus Christ. Through him you have been so richly and fully gifted with
every kind of speech and knowledge that you have proved the truth of
the testimony which I bore to Christ when I was with you.
Brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I beg of you all to agree
in your statement of faith. There must be no quarrels among you, but you
must be one both in your way of thinking and in your purpose. For I have
been told, brothers, by the members of Chloe's household, that there are
quarrels among you.
Avoid all impurity! Every other sin that a man commits is outside the
body, but the impure man sins against his own body. Do you not know that
your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is within you, which you
have received from God? You do not belong to yourselves, for you were
bought for a price. Be sure to honor God with your bodies.
No temptation has come to you that is beyond your power to resist. God
is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond what you can stand;
but when the temptation comes, he will provide the way of escape, so
that you will have strength to endure.
In all things I can do as I like, but they are not all good for me. In
all things I can do as I like, but they do not all make me a better man.
Each of us must seek not only his own good but that of his neighbor.
Do you not know that in a race, though all run, only one wins the prize?
So run that you may win the prize. Every athlete exercises
self-restraint in every way; but while they do this to win a crown that
perishes, we do it to secure one that is eternal. So then I run as one
who is sure of his goal. I do not plant my blows as a boxer who beats
the air; rather I constantly train my body and keep it under control for
fear that I, who told others of the contest, might myself be
disqualified.
Now brothers, I wish you to understand about spiritual gifts. There are
different kinds of gifts, but all are given by the same Spirit. There
are different ways of serving, but all are for the same Master. There
are different ways in which God's power is shown, but the same God is
working in all of you in all these ways. Each is given his own gift of
the Spirit for the common good.
Just as a man's body has many parts, and these parts, although many,
form only one body, so it is with Christ. For we have all been baptized
by the one Spirit so as to form one body. Whether we were Jews or
Greeks, slaves or freemen, we have all been given the same Spirit. For
the body consists not of one part but of many. If the foot were to say,
"Because I am not the hand I do not belong to the body," that would not
make it any less a part of the body. If the ear were to say, "Because I
am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would be, for all that,
a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the
hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of
smell be? But as it is, God gave each part of the body its proper place,
exactly as he wished. If they were all only one part, where would the
body be? As it is, while there are many parts, there is only one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor can the
head say to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, even
those parts of the body which seem weaker are necessary. If one part
suffers, all parts suffer with it. If one part is honored, all the parts
share its honor.
Now you are one body--the body of Christ, and each of you are parts of
it. And God gave each his proper place in the church: apostles first,
prophets next, teachers third, then workers of miracles, healers,
helpers, and directors.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all able to
work miracles? Are all healers? Are all able to tell what their words
mean? But always seek to attain the highest gifts.
Yet I will show you a far better way. Though I speak with the tongues of
men and of angels but have not love, I am only sounding brass or a
clanging cymbal. Even though I have the gift of prophecy, and can
understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have faith enough to
remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I give all I
have to feed the poor and my body to be burned, but have not love, I
gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love is not envious; love is not boastful, is
not conceited, does not act rudely, is not selfish, is never provoked,
does not resent wrong; rejoices not in evil, but rejoices in the truth.
Love forgives all things, believes all things, hopes for all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails. As for prophecies they shall come to an end. As for
tongues they shall cease. As for knowledge it also shall come to an end;
for we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is
perfect has come, that which is imperfect shall come to an end.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as
a child; but now that I am a man I have put away childish ways. For now
we see only the dim reflection in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I
know only in part, but then I shall know fully, even as also I am fully
known.
And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of
these is love.
THE NEW LIFE AFTER DEATH
Now, brothers, remember the good news I preached to you, that Christ
died for our sins, and that he was buried and rose again the third day.
Now if we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why do some of you say
that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no such thing as
a resurrection of the dead, then Christ did not rise; and if Christ did
not rise then our preaching is of no value and your faith also is of no
value.
But some one will say, "How do the dead rise and what kind of body will
they have when they come back?" Foolish one! The seed you sow does not
come to life again unless it dies. What you sow is not the body that
will be, but a mere grain, perhaps of wheat or of some other seed. God
gives it the kind of body that he sees fit, to each kind of seed a body
of its own.
All flesh is not the same; there is human flesh, another flesh of
beasts, another flesh of birds, and another of fishes. There are
heavenly bodies and also earthly bodies, but the splendor of the
heavenly is one thing and that of the earthly is another. There is one
splendor of the sun, another splendor of the moon, and another splendor
of the stars; for one star differs from another in splendor.
So it is with a man's body when he rises from the dead. It is sown a
perishable thing, it is raised imperishable; it is sown without honor,
it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it
is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a
natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall be changed and this
perishable body must put on the imperishable and this mortal body put on
immortality. Then shall come true what is written in Scripture "Death is
swallowed up by victory. O grave, where is your victory? O death, where
is your sting?" Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
WAYS OF SHOWING LOVE
Now about the collection for God's people in Jerusalem, you must carry
out the same directions that I gave to the churches in Galatia. On the
first day of every week let each one put aside a certain part of what he
has gained, so that the money will not have to be collected when I come.
When I arrive I will send those whom you select, with letters, to carry
your gift to Jerusalem, and if it is worth while for me to go too, they
shall go with me.
I will come to you after I have passed through Macedonia, for I am going
there. Perhaps I shall spend some time, or even pass the winter with
you, that you may start me on my way, wherever I may be going. I do not
wish to see you merely in passing, for my hope is to stay some time with
you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until the Feast of
Pentecost, for I have a great opportunity here for work, and there are
many foes.
If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear while among you, for
he is carrying on the Lord's work even as I am. So let no one slight
him, but see him safely on his way that he may come to me, for I am
waiting for him along with the other brothers.
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, be men, be strong! Let all that
you do be done in love.
The churches of the province in Asia send you greetings. Aquila and
Prisca, with the church that meets in their home, also send you
greetings, and so do all the brothers.
I, Paul, add this greeting with my own hand: "The Love of the Lord Jesus
Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus."
PAUL'S TRIALS AND VICTORIES AT EPHESUS
After spending some time at Antioch Paul went off on a trip to Galatia
and Phrygia to strengthen the faith of all the disciples; then he
returned to Ephesus. There Paul entered the synagogue, and spoke out
fearlessly for three months, arguing and trying to convince people
about the Kingdom of God. But as some were stubborn and refused to be
convinced and publicly slandered the Christian way of thinking and
living, Paul, taking the disciples with him, left the synagogue and
continued his teaching every day in the lecture-room of Tyrannus. This
continued for two years, so that all the people who lived in the
province of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the message of the Lord.
And God did wonderful miracles through Paul, and the name of the Lord
Jesus was held in high honor. Many who believed in him came to confess
and to tell all the wicked things they had done.
About that time a great disturbance arose over the Christian way of
teaching and living. A silversmith, by the name of Demetrius, made
silver models of the temple of Artemis which brought much profit to his
workmen. He gathered the workmen together, and others who were in the
same kind of business, and said to them, "Men, you know that we get our
wealth from this business of ours. You also see and hear that, not only
at Ephesus but throughout the whole province of Asia, this Paul has
drawn away many people by telling them that gods made by human hands are
not gods at all. There is danger not only that this business will be
hurt, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be
neglected, and that she will even lose her importance in all the
province of Asia and throughout the world."
When they heard this they were greatly enraged, and shouted, "Great is
Artemis of the Ephesians!" The uproar spread throughout the whole city
until the people all rushed into the theatre, dragging along Gaius and
Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, who were Paul's travelling companions.
Paul wanted to enter the assembly, but the disciples would not let him.
Some of the leading religious officers of the province of Asia, who were
friends of his, also sent messages begging him not to risk going into
the theatre.
Some of the people shouted one thing and some another, for the assembly
was all in confusion, and most of those present did not know why they
had come together. For about two hours they shouted, "Great is Artemis
of the Ephesians!" When the city recorder had quieted the mob, he said:
"Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that this city is
the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the statue that
fell from heaven? As these facts cannot be denied, you should keep calm
and do nothing reckless. You have brought these men here who are
neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. If Demetrius
and his fellow workers have a complaint against anybody, there are the
courts and the Roman officials; let both sides state their charges. But
if there is anything else you want, it must be settled in the regular
assembly. We are indeed in danger of being charged with riot because of
what we have done to-day, for there is no good reason that we can give
for this gathering." With these words he dismissed the assembly.
When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged
them. Then, after bidding them good-by, he started for Macedonia.
PAUL WRITES TO THE CHRISTIANS AT ROME
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart to
tell God's good news about Jesus Christ our Lord, to all God's loved
ones who are in Rome and have been called to be his people: Love to you,
and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
First of all I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because
your faith is reported throughout the whole world. The God whom I serve
with my spirit, as I tell the good news about his Son, is my witness how
often I speak of you in my prayers, asking that at last the way may be
opened for me to come to you, if it is God's will. For I long to see you
that I may give you some spiritual gift, that you may be strengthened;
or rather that we may each be encouraged by the other's faith, I by
yours, and you by mine.
Brothers, I also wish you to know that many times I planned to come to
you (but thus far was prevented) that I might gather some fruit from my
labors among you, as I have already in the other nations. I have a duty
to perform both to Greeks and to barbarians; both to the wise and to the
ignorant; so I am eager to tell the good news to you also who are in
Rome. I am not ashamed of the good news, for it is the power of God that
is able to save every one who believes it, the Jew first and the Greek
as well.
Do not follow the example of those who have not heard the good news, but
be made different by a complete change of mind, so that you may be able
to know what is the will of God, even what is good and perfect and
acceptable to him.
Let your love be sincere; abhor that which is evil, cling to that which
is good. In your love for your brothers, feel genuine devotion for one
another. Be eager to honor one another. Never let your zeal grow less;
keep alive your enthusiasm; serve the Lord; rejoice in your hope. Be
patient in trouble, persevering in prayer; share with fellow Christians
in need, be friendly and generous.
Bless those who persecute you, bless and curse not. Rejoice with those
who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be sympathetic with one
another. Set not your heart on high things but be ready to do humble
tasks. Do not be conceited.
Do not pay back evil for evil; aim to do what is honorable in the eyes
of all men. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with
all men. Never seek revenge, dear friends, but let God punish those who
wrong you. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is
thirsty, give him drink, for in so doing you will heap coals of fire
upon his head. Do not let evil overcome you, but overcome evil with
good.
Owe no man anything, except to love one another, for he who loves his
neighbor has done what the law demands. For all the commandments are
summed up in this one command: "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself." Love never wrongs a fellow man; that is why love meets all
the demands of the law.
I have, for several years, been longing to visit you when I go to Spain.
I am hoping to see you on my way there, and to be sent on my journey by
you after I have first enjoyed being with you for a time. But now I am
on my way to Jerusalem to do a service for God's people; for the
Christians in Macedonia and Greece have been good enough to make a
contribution for the poor Christians at Jerusalem.
Now I beg of you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by
the love which his Spirit inspires, that you join me in earnest prayer
to God in my behalf. Pray that I may be delivered from those in Judea
who refuse to believe in Jesus, that my mission to Jerusalem may prove
acceptable to God's people, and that I may through the will of God come
to you joyfully and find rest with you.
May the God who gives peace be with you all. Amen.
PAUL'S LAST JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
After we had said good-by to the elders of Ephesus we sailed to Syria
and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload her cargo. There we
found certain Christian disciples and stayed a week with them. Speaking
under the influence of the Spirit, they told Paul not to set foot in
Jerusalem; but when it was time for us to go, we went on our way, and
they all, with their wives and children, came with us until we were out
of the city. Then kneeling on the beach, we prayed and said good-by to
one another; we went on board and they returned home.
Sailing from Tyre to Ptolemais, we completed our voyage. After greeting
the Christian brothers who lived there, we spent a day with them. The
next morning we set out and reached Caesarea, where we went to the house
of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him.
He had four daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
During our stay there, which lasted a number of days, a prophet named
Agabus came down from Judea. Coming up to us, he took Paul's belt, bound
his own feet and hands with it, and said: "This is what the Holy Spirit
says, 'In the same way the Jews will bind the owner of this belt at
Jerusalem and will turn him over to the Romans.'" When we and the
brothers who lived there heard this, we begged Paul not to go up to
Jerusalem, but Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking
my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but to die in Jerusalem
for the cause of the Lord Jesus." So when he could not be kept from
going, we stopped pleading and said: "The Lord's will be done."
After some days we started for Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from
Caesarea went with us and brought us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus,
one of the early disciples, with whom we were to stay. When we reached
Jerusalem the brothers welcomed us gladly.
The next day Paul went with us to see James, and all the elders of the
church were present. After Paul had greeted them, he told, one by one,
all the things that God had done among the foreign peoples through his
ministry. When they heard it they praised God and said to him, "Brother,
you see how many thousands of Christian believers there are among the
Jews and that they are all eager to have men keep the law. They have
been told that you teach all Jews living in foreign lands not to keep
the law of Moses. Now what is to be done? They will certainly hear that
you have come; therefore do this: we have here four men who have
solemnly promised to make certain offerings at the Temple. Join with
them, pay their expenses, and all will know that there is no truth in
the stories told about you, but that you live as the law of Moses
commands."
So Paul joined the men the next day and went with them into the Temple
to give notice of the time when sacrifice was to be offered for every
one of them.
PAUL'S NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH
The seven days during which the men had promised to make special
offerings were almost over when some Jews from Asia, who saw Paul in the
Temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, shouting, "Men
of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men, everywhere, to
despise the Jewish people, the Jewish law, and this sacred place." So
the whole city was aroused. The people rushed together, seized Paul, and
dragged him outside the Temple; and at once the doors were closed.