Ananias and Sapphira

5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ² With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself,^(A) but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.^(B)

³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan^(C) has so filled your heart^(D) that you have lied to the Holy Spirit^(E) and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?^{(F) 4} Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?^(G) What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”^(H)

⁵ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.^(I) And great fear^(J) seized all who heard what had happened. ⁶ Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body,^(K) and carried him out and buried him.

⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”^(L)

⁹ Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?^(M) Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

¹⁰ At that moment she fell down at his feet and died.^(N) Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.^{(O) 11} Great fear^(P) seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it^(A) is the Lord of heaven and earth^(B) and does not live in temples built by human hands.^{(C) 25} And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.^(D)

³⁵ In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

⁶ For we know that our old self^(A) was crucified with him^(B) so that the body ruled by sin^(C) might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin^(D)— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.^(E)

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.^{(F) 9} For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,^(G) he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.^{(H) 10} The death he died, he died to sin^(I) once for all;^(J) but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin^(K) but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign^(L) in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,^(M) but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.^{(N) 14} For sin shall no longer be your master,^(O) because you are not under the law,^(P) but under grace.^(Q)

Slaves to Righteousness

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?^(R) By no means! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey^(S)—whether you are slaves to sin,^(T) which leads to death,^(U) or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God^(V) that, though you used to be slaves to sin,^(W) you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching^(X) that has now claimed your allegiance. ¹⁸ You have been set free from sin^(Y) and have become slaves to righteousness.^(Z)

¹⁹ I am using an example from everyday life^(AA) because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness^(AB) leading to holiness. ²⁰ When you were slaves to sin,^(AC) you were free from the control of righteousness.^{(AD) 21} What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!^{(AE) 22} But now that you have been set free from sin^(AF) and have become slaves of God,^(AG) the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.^(AH)

⁶ For we know that our old self^(A) was crucified with him^(B) so that the body ruled by sin^(C) might be done away with,^[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin^(D)— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.^(E)

⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.^{(F) 9} For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,^(G) he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.^{(H) 10} The death he died, he died to sin^(I) once for all;^(J) but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin^(K) but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign^(L) in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,^(M) but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.^{(N) 14} For sin shall no longer be your master,^(O) because you are not under the law,^(P) but under grace.^(Q)

Slaves to Righteousness

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?^(R) By no means! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey^(S)—whether you are slaves to sin,^(T) which leads to death,^(U) or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God^(V) that, though you used to be slaves to sin,^(W) you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching^(X) that has now claimed your allegiance. ¹⁸ You have been set free from sin^(Y) and have become slaves to righteousness.^(Z)

¹⁹ I am using an example from everyday life^(AA) because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness^(AB) leading to holiness. ²⁰ When you were slaves to sin,^(AC) you were free from the control of righteousness.^{(AD) 21} What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!^{(AE) 22} But now that you have been set free from sin^(AF) and have become slaves of God,^(AG) the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.^(AH)

The Collection for the Lord’s People

8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian^(A) churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.^{(B) 3} For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,^(C) and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing^(D) in this service^(E) to the Lord’s people.^{(F) 5} And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. ⁶ So we urged^(G) Titus,^(H) just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion^(I) this act of grace on your part. ⁷ But since you excel in everything^(J)—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,^(K) in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

⁸ I am not commanding you,^(L) but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace^(M) of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(N) that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,^(O) so that you through his poverty might become rich.^(P)

¹⁰ And here is my judgment^(Q) about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.^{(R) 11} Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness^(S) to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹² For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has,^(T) not according to what one does not have.

¹³ Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. ¹⁴ At the present time your plenty will supply what they need,^(U) so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, ¹⁵ as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”^[b](V)

Titus Sent to Receive the Collection

¹⁶ Thanks be to God,^(W) who put into the heart^(X) of Titus^(Y) the same concern I have for you. ¹⁷ For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.^{(Z) 18} And we are sending along with him the brother^(AA) who is praised by all the churches^(AB) for his service to the gospel.^{(AC) 19} What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us^(AD) as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.^{(AE) 20} We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. ²¹ For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.^(AF)

²² In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for Titus,^(AG) he is my partner^(AH) and co-worker^(AI) among you; as for our brothers,^(AJ) they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you,^(AK) so that the churches can see it.

9 There is no need^(AL) for me to write to you about this service^(AM) to the Lord’s people.^{(AN) 2} For I know your eagerness to help,^(AO) and I have been boasting^(AP) about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year^(AQ) you in Achaia^(AR) were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. ³ But I am sending the brothers^(AS) in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.^{(AT) 4} For if any Macedonians^(AU) come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers^(AV) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,^(AW) not as one grudgingly given.^(AX)

Generosity Encouraged

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.^{(AY) 7} Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,^(AZ) not reluctantly or under compulsion,^(BA) for God loves a cheerful giver.^{(BB) 8} And God is able^(BC) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,^(BD) you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food^(BG) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.^{(BH) 11} You will be enriched^(BI) in every way so that you can be generous^(BJ) on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.^(BK)

¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs^(BL) of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.^{(BM) 13} Because of the service^(BN) by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God^(BO) for the obedience that accompanies your confession^(BP) of the gospel of Christ,^(BQ) and for your generosity^(BR) in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God^(BS) for his indescribable gift!^(BT)

¹⁵ So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^(A) If I love you more,^(B) will you love me less?

Thanks for Their Gifts

¹⁰ I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.^(A) Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content^(B) whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry,^(C) whether living in plenty or in want.^{(D) 13} I can do all this through him who gives me strength.^(E)

¹⁴ Yet it was good of you to share^(F) in my troubles. ¹⁵ Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days^(G) of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia,^(H) not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;^{(I) 16} for even when I was in Thessalonica,^(J) you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.^{(K) 17} Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.^{(L) 18} I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus^(M) the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant^(N) offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God will meet all your needs^(O) according to the riches of his glory^(P) in Christ Jesus.