Why, not even those who are circumcised obey the Law! They simply want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your external appearance.

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually caused the gospel to advance.

I want to know the Messiah what his resurrection power is like and what it means to share in his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,

It is not that I am looking for a gift. No, I want to see that you receive the fruit that increases to your benefit.

For I want you to know how much I struggle for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have never seen me face to face.

But Timothy has just now returned from visiting you and has told us the good news about your faith and love. He also told us that you always have fond memories of us and want to see us, just as we want to see you.

But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve like other people who have no hope.

While we were with you, we gave this order: "If anyone doesn't want to work, he shouldn't eat."

They want to be teachers of the Law, yet they do not understand either what they are talking about or the things about which they speak so confidently.

who wants all people to be saved and to come to know the truth fully.

Therefore, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without being angry or argumentative.

But do not include younger widows on your list. For whenever their natural desires cause them to lose their devotion to the Messiah, they want to remarry.

Therefore, I want younger widows to remarry, have children, manage their homes, and not give the enemy any chance to ridicule them.

But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin.

Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in union with the Messiah Jesus will be persecuted.

This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have put their faith in God may devote themselves to good actions. These things are good and helpful to other people.

Yet I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be something

But we want each of you to continue to be diligent to the very end, in order to give full assurance to your hope.

For this reason, the Scriptures say, when the Messiah was about to come into the world: "You did not want sacrifices and offerings, but you prepared a body for me.

Do you want proof, you foolish person, that faith without actions is worthless?

You want something but do not get it, so you commit murder. You covet something but cannot obtain it, so you quarrel and fight. You do not get things because you do not ask for them!

You adulterers! Don't you know that friendship with the world means hostility with God? So whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.

Instead you should say, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that."

"For the person who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over it, not because you must but because you want to, and not greedily but eagerly, as God desires.

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some people understand slowness, but is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent.

For this reason, when I come I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with that, he refuses to receive the brothers. He even tries to stop those who want to accept them and throws them out of the church.

Now I want to remind you, even though you are fully aware of these things, that the Lord who once saved his people from the land of Egypt later destroyed those who did not believe.

And if anyone should want to hurt them, fire comes out of their mouths and burns up their enemies. If anyone wants to hurt them, he must be killed in this manner.

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Let everyone who hears this say, "Come!" Let everyone who is thirsty come! Let anyone who wants the water of life take it as a gift!