^37 (A)If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.

⁶ We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. ^(A)By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Reality of Paul’s Authority

^7 (A)Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? ^(B)If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even ^[a]so ^(C)we are Christ’s.

^17 (A)But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:

² that you may be mindful of the words ^(A)which were spoken before by the holy prophets, ^(B)and of the commandment of ^[a]us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,

Plea for Purity

4 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus ^(A)that you should abound more and more, ^(B)just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; ² for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

³ For this is ^(C)the will of God, ^(D)your sanctification: ^(E)that you should abstain from sexual immorality; ^4 (F)that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ^5 (G)not in passion of lust, ^(H)like the Gentiles ^(I)who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord ^(J)is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, ^(K)but in holiness. ^8 (L)Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, ^(M)who^[a] has also given us His Holy Spirit.

⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap ^(A)everlasting life.

¹² But what I do, I will also continue to do, ^(A)that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. ¹³ For such ^(B)are false apostles, ^(C)deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into ^(D)an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, ^(E)whose end will be according to their works.

⁴ For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a ^(A)different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!