Personal Instructions

^9 (A)Do your best to come to me soon. ¹⁰ For ^(B)Demas, ^(C)in love with ^(D)this present world, ^(E)has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia,^{[a] (F)}Titus to Dalmatia. ^11 (G)Luke alone is with me. Get ^(H)Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. ^12 (I)Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.

²⁴ and so do ^(A)Mark, ^(B)Aristarchus, ^(C)Demas, and ^(D)Luke, my fellow workers.

^14 (A)Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does ^(B)Demas.

²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately ^(A)receives it with joy, ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but ^(B)endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately ^(C)he falls away.^[a]

Seven Chosen to Serve

6 Now in these days ^(A)when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists^[a] arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in ^(B)the daily distribution. ² And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. ^3 (C)Therefore, brothers,^[b] pick out from among you seven men ^(D)of good repute, ^(E)full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. ⁴ But ^(F)we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, ^(G)a man full of faith and ^(H)of the Holy Spirit, and ^(I)Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, ^(J)a proselyte of Antioch. ⁶ These they set before the apostles, and ^(K)they prayed and ^(L)laid their hands on them.

Final Greetings

^21 (A)So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, ^(B)Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything.

Final Instructions and Greetings

¹² When I send Artemas or ^(A)Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me ^(B)at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

Final Greetings

⁷ Tychicus will tell you ^(A)all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant^[a] in the Lord.