^14 (A)“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in ^(B)sincerity and in truth, and ^(C)put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of ^[a]the River and ^(D)in Egypt. Serve the Lord!

¹¹ you also ^(A)helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on ^[a]our behalf ^(B)for the gift granted to us through many.

Paul’s Sincerity

¹² For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in ^[b]simplicity and ^(C)godly sincerity, ^(D)not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

¹⁴ Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us ^[a]diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. ¹⁵ For we are to God the fragrance of Christ ^(A)among those who are being saved and ^(B)among those who are perishing. ^16 (C)To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And ^(D)who is sufficient for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not, as ^[b]so many, ^(E)peddling^[c] the word of God; but as ^(F)of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

⁶ Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, ⁷ in all things showing yourself to be ^(A)a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, ^(B)incorruptibility,^{[a] 8} sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of ^[b]you.