¹⁶ So I always ^(A)take pains to have a ^(B)clear conscience toward both God and man.

⁵ The aim of our charge is love ^(A)that issues from a pure heart and ^(B)a good conscience and ^(C)a sincere faith.

23 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, ^(A)I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”

² But we have renounced ^(A)disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice^[a] cunning or ^(B)to tamper with God's word, but ^(C)by the open statement of the truth ^(D)we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts ^(A)sprinkled clean ^(B)from an evil conscience and our bodies ^(C)washed with pure water.

¹⁵ They show that the work of the law is ^(A)written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them

Paul's Change of Plans

¹² For our boast is this, ^(A)the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity^[a] and ^(B)godly sincerity, ^(C)not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.

²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, ^(A)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but ^(B)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, ^(C)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

^15 (A)To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and ^(B)unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both ^(C)their minds and their consciences are defiled.