³⁴ He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity^[a]—

¹⁸ Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

⁶ So be truly glad.^[a] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

⁸ You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.

Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead

¹⁴ What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? ¹⁵ Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶ and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

¹⁷ So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

⁷ Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

⁹ But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other,^[a] for God himself has taught you to love one another. ¹⁰ Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers^[b] throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.

¹⁷ I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.

⁴ Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,