¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—

¹⁷ For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

⁸ sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of ^[a]you.

^12 (A)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(B)they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

³ For this is ^(A)the will of God, ^(B)your sanctification: ^(C)that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

Depravity of False Teachers

¹² But these, ^(A)like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,

^6 (A)not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,