2 Corinthians 8:6

with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:

to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

Now after some years, I came to bring gifts for the needy to my nation, and offerings;

But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need,

You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;

For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside.

For he indeed accepted our exhortation, but being himself very earnest, he went out to you of his own accord.

We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known throughout all the assemblies.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.

I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same steps?

But to each one of us, the grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.

to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of life, that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier.

If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.

Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He urged him, and he took it.

He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

The priest shall take from the meal offering its memorial, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”

At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.

that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

that in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge;

So let a man think of us as Christ’s servants, and stewards of God’s mysteries.

Now I beg you, brothers—you know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have set themselves to serve the saints—

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?

It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the service to the saints,

This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle toward all, able to teach, patient,

as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

Now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.

That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.

Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.

I myself am also persuaded about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others.

For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

I had no relief for my spirit, because I didn’t find Titus, my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia.

Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place.

For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved and in those who perish:

For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints.

But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

Not only so, but he was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are the apostles of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.

But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,

For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through much giving of thanks to God,

I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.

Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.

But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,

This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.

Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account.

that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God,

who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

Some men’s sins are evident, preceding them to judgment, and some also follow later.

At my first defense, no one came to help me, but all left me. May it not be held against them.

For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward, not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;

to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men.

Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.

When I arrive, I will send whoever you approve with letters to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem.

But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace.

I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.

But I have all things and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God.

I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men:

for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia; and Titus to Dalmatia.

to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.