²⁷ When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia,^(A) the brothers and sisters^(B) encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.

¹⁶ Don’t be deceived,^(A) my dear brothers and sisters.^{(B) 17} Every good and perfect gift is from above,^(C) coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,^(D) who does not change^(E) like shifting shadows. ¹⁸ He chose to give us birth^(F) through the word of truth,^(G) that we might be a kind of firstfruits^(H) of all he created.

Stand Firm

¹³ But we ought always to thank God for you,^(A) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits^[a](B) to be saved^(C) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit^(D) and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴ He called you^(E) to this through our gospel,^(F) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸ We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. ¹⁰ So when I come,^(A) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.^(B) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.^(C)

² who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge^(A) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,^(B) to be obedient^(C) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:^(D)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.^(E)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^(F) In his great mercy^(G) he has given us new birth^(H) into a living hope^(I) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,^(J)

⁴ But when the kindness^(A) and love of God our Savior^(B) appeared,^{(C) 5} he saved us,^(D) not because of righteous things we had done,^(E) but because of his mercy.^(F) He saved us through the washing^(G) of rebirth and renewal^(H) by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us^(I) generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

¹⁰ My fellow prisoner Aristarchus^(A) sends you his greetings, as does Mark,^(B) the cousin of Barnabas.^(C) (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)

¹² having been buried with him in baptism,^(A) in which you were also raised with him^(B) through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.^(C)

²⁹ For it has been granted to you^(A) on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer^(B) for him,