My opinion is that it is better for you to finish now what you began last year. You were the first, not only to act, but also to be willing to act.

You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly.

I tell you this not as an order, but simply as a permission.

To the others I say (I, myself, not the Lord): if a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she agrees to go on living with him, he must not divorce her.

Now, concerning what you wrote about unmarried people: I do not have a command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is worthy of trust.

Our friends, we want you to know what God's grace has accomplished in the churches in Macedonia.

I can assure you that they gave as much as they could, and even more than they could. Of their own free will

I know that you are willing to help, and I have boasted of you to the people in Macedonia. "The believers in Achaia," I said, "have been ready to help since last year." Your eagerness has stirred up most of them.

The sin of the Jews brought rich blessings to the world, and their spiritual poverty brought rich blessings to the Gentiles. Then, how much greater the blessings will be when the complete number of Jews is included!

Perhaps I can make the people of my own race jealous, and so be able to save some of them.

Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good.

Show your love to them, so that all the churches will be sure of it and know that we are right in boasting about you.

By our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness we have shown ourselves to be God's servants---by the Holy Spirit, by our true love,

"Now then," Joshua continued, "honor the LORD and serve him sincerely and faithfully. Get rid of the gods which your ancestors used to worship in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and serve only the LORD.

So my people crowd in to hear what you have to say, but they don't do what you tell them to do. Loving words are on their lips, but they continue their greedy ways.

Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good.

Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head.

May God's grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying love.

My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?

What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!"---if you don't give them the necessities of life?

Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart.

If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God?

This, then, is how we will know that we belong to the truth; this is how we will be confident in God's presence.