During these days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists began to complain against the Hebrews, on the ground that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

This went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.

So he despatched two of his assistants to Macedonia, Timotheus and Erastus, while he himself stayed on awhile in Asia.

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the presbyters of the church.

Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you guardians; shepherd the church of the Lord which he has purchased with his own blood.

you must not let sin have your members for the service of vice, you must dedicate yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, dedicating your members to God for the service of righteousness.

On the other hand, if Christ is within you, though the body is a dead thing owing to Adam's sin, the spirit is living as the result of righteousness.

whenever I went to Spain, I am hoping to see you on my way there, and to be sped forward by you after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

Well, once I finish this business by putting the proceeds of the collection safely in their hands, I will start for Spain and take you on the way.

Let me introduce our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae;

To ensure this, I am sending you Timotheus, my beloved and trustworthy son in the Lord; he will remind you of those methods in Christ Jesus which I teach everywhere in every church.

Let only two or three prophets speak, while the rest exercise their judgment upon what is said.

Now if we preach that Christ rose from the dead, how can certain individuals among you assert that 'there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead'?

He who furnishes the sower with seed and with bread to eat will supply seed for you and multiply it; he will increase the crop of your charities ??11 you will be enriched on all hands, so that you can be generous on all occasions, and your generosity, of which I am the agent, will make men give thanks to God;

they merely heard that 'our former persecutor is now preaching the faith he once harried,'

Before this faith came, we were confined by the Law and kept in custody, with the prospect of the faith that was to be revealed;

PAUL and Timotheus, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, as well as to the bishops and deacons:

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send you Timotheus before long, that I may be heartened by news of you.

As I asked you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay where you are at Ephesus and warn certain individuals against teaching novelties

As I asked you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay where you are at Ephesus and warn certain individuals against teaching novelties and studying myths and interminable genealogies; such studies bear upon speculations rather than on the divine order which belongs to faith.

doctors of the Law is what they want to be, but they have no idea either of the meaning of the words they use or of the themes on which they harp.

I obtained mercy, for the purpose of furnishing Christ Jesus with the chief illustration of his utter patience; I was to be the typical instance of all who were to believe in him and gain eternal life.

Well, my very first counsel is that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving, are to be offered for all men ??2 for kings and all in authority, that we may lead a tranquil life in all piety and gravity;

Now I want the men to offer prayer at any meeting of the church; and let the hands they lift to heaven be holy ??they must be free from anger and dissension.

Their wives must be serious too; they must not be slanderers but temperate and absolutely trustworthy.

Though I hope to come to you before long, I am writing to you in this way,

Though I hope to come to you before long, I am writing to you in this way, in case I am detained, to let you see how people ought to behave within the household of God; it is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the Truth. read more. And who does not admit how profound is the divine truth of our religion? ??it is He who was "manifest in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by the angels, preached among the nations, believed on throughout the world, taken up to glory."

But in later days, the Spirit distinctly declares, certain people will rebel against the faith; they will listen to spirits of error and to the doctrines that daemons teach through plausible sophists who are seared in conscience ??3 men who prohibit marriage and insist on abstinence from foods which God created for believing men, who understand the Truth, to partake of with thanksgiving.

Anything God has created is good, and nothing is to be tabooed ??provided it is eaten with thanksgiving,

The training of the body is of small service, but religion is of service in all directions; it contains the promise of life both for the present and for the future.

Attend to your Scripture-reading, your preaching, and your teaching, till I come.

Widows who really need it must be supported from the funds.

[Give up being a total abstainer; take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent attacks of illness.]

for we bring nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

For love of money is the root of all mischief; it is by aspiring to be rich that certain individuals have gone astray from the faith and found themselves pierced with many a pang of remorse.

Charge the rich of this world not to be supercilious, and not to fix their hopes on so uncertain a thing as riches but on the living God who richly provides us with all the enjoyments of life;

who has saved us and called us to a life of consecration ??not for anything we have done but because he chose to do it himself, by the grace which he gave us ages ago in Christ Jesus

they have failed in the Truth by arguing that the resurrection has taken place already, and they are undermining some people's faith.

Now the crown of a good life awaits me, with which the Lord, that just Judge, will reward me on the great Day ??and not only me but all who have loved and longed for his appearance.

When you come, bring the mantle I left at Troas with Carpus, also my books, and particularly my paper.

Erastus stayed on at Corinth: I left Trophimus ill at Miletus.

I left you behind in Crete in order to finish putting things right and to appoint presbyters in every town as I told you, men who are above reproach, only once married, with children who believe and who are not liable to the charge of being profligate or insubordinate. read more. [For a bishop must be above reproach ??he is a steward of God's house ??he must not be presumptuous or hot-tempered or a drunkard or violent or addicted to pilfering;

For there are plenty of insubordinate creatures who impose on people with their empty arguments, particularly those who have come over from Judaism;

instead of studying Jewish myths and rules laid down by men who have discarded the Truth.

and he saved us, not for anything we had done but from his own pity for us, by the water that means regeneration and renewal under the holy Spirit

It is a sure saying. I want you to insist on this, that those who have faith in God must profess honest occupations. Such counsels are right and good for men. But avoid foolish controversy, and let genealogies and dissensions and strife over the Law alone, for these are fruitless and futile.

But avoid foolish controversy, and let genealogies and dissensions and strife over the Law alone, for these are fruitless and futile.

Whenever I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to winter there.

Whenever I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to winter there.

And get quarters ready for me, for I am hoping that by your prayers I shall be restored to you.

Pure, unsoiled religion in the judgment of God the Father means this: to care for orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself from the stain of the world.

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven: he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

Setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions reached Perga in Pamphylia; John left them and went back to Jerusalem,

Some days later, Paul said to Barnabas, "Come and let us go back to visit the brothers in every town where we have proclaimed the word of the Lord. Let us see how they are doing." But while Barnabas wanted to take John (who was called Mark) along with them, read more. Paul held they should not take a man with them who had deserted them in Pamphylia, instead of accompanying them on active service. So in irritation they parted company, Barnabas taking Mark with him and sailing for Cyprus, while Paul selected Silas and went off, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

and installed as Son of God with power by the Spirit of holiness when he was raised from the dead ??concerning Jesus Christ our Lord,

I have consigned that individual to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, in order that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord Jesus.

So I am an envoy for Christ, God appealing by me, as it were ??be reconciled to God, I entreat you on behalf of Christ.

As I asked you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay where you are at Ephesus and warn certain individuals against teaching novelties

As I asked you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay where you are at Ephesus and warn certain individuals against teaching novelties and studying myths and interminable genealogies; such studies bear upon speculations rather than on the divine order which belongs to faith.

and studying myths and interminable genealogies; such studies bear upon speculations rather than on the divine order which belongs to faith.

I transmit these instructions to you, Timotheus my son, in accordance with what the prophets said who first directed me to you; fight the good fight on these lines,

Hence I would remind you to rekindle the divine gift which you received when my hands were laid upon you;

Now you have followed my teaching, my practice, my aims, my faith, my patience, my love, my stedfastness,

Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus salutes you; so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brotherhood.