Stand Firm

¹³ But ^(A)we ought always to give thanks to God for you, ^(B)brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you ^(C)as the firstfruits^{[a] (D)}to be saved, ^(E)through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through ^(F)our gospel, ^(G)so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, ^(H)stand firm and hold to ^(I)the traditions that you were taught by us, either ^(J)by our spoken word or by ^(K)our letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, ^(L)who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good ^(M)hope through grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and ^(N)establish them in every good work and word.

Pray for Us

3 Finally, brothers,^{[b] (O)}pray for us, that ^(P)the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored,^[c] as happened among you, ² and ^(Q)that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For ^(R)not all have faith. ³ But ^(S)the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and ^(T)guard you against ^(U)the evil one.^{[d] 4} And ^(V)we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. ⁵ May the Lord ^(W)direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

²⁷ There came to him ^(A)some Sadducees, ^(B)those who deny that there is a resurrection, ²⁸ and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us ^(C)that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man^[a] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. ³⁰ And the second ³¹ and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. ³² Afterward the woman also died. ³³ In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

³⁴ And Jesus said to them, ^(D)“The sons of this age ^(E)marry and ^(F)are given in marriage, ³⁵ but those who are ^(G)considered worthy to attain to ^(H)that age and to the resurrection from the dead ^(I)neither marry ^(J)nor are given in marriage, ³⁶ for ^(K)they cannot die anymore, because they are ^(L)equal to angels and ^(M)are ^(N)sons of God, being ^(O)sons^[b] of the resurrection. ³⁷ But that the dead are raised, ^(P)even Moses showed, in ^(Q)the passage about the bush, where he calls ^(R)the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all ^(S)live to him.”