⁷ Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you^[a]—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.^[b](A)

⁵ For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge,^{(A) 6} and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.^(B)

Thanksgiving

³ We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.^(A)

⁸ And God is able to provide you with every blessing^[a] in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.^(A)

⁹ And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight^(A)

⁶ so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking^[a] among you.^(A)

² And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.^(A)

Food Offered to Idols

8 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.^{(A) 2} Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge,^(B)

⁷ For who sees anything different in you?^[a] What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive?^(A)

⁵ for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—