Gaius Commended for His Hospitality

² Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.

The Christian’s Call and Election

³ His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by^[a] his own glory and excellence.^{(A) 4} Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature.^{(B) 5} For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge,^{(C) 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.^{(D) 9} For anyone who lacks these things is blind, suffering from eye disease, forgetful of the cleansing of past sins.^(E)

¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.^[a]

⁸ Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.^(A)

⁴ for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,^{(A) 5} because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel^{(B) 6} that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.^(C)