Marriage at the Resurrection^(A)

¹⁸ Then the Sadducees,^(B) who say there is no resurrection,^(C) came to him with a question. ¹⁹ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.^{(D) 20} Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. ²¹ The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. ²² In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ At the resurrection^[a] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures^(E) or the power of God? ²⁵ When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.^{(F) 26} Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^[b]?^{(G) 27} He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

The Greatest Commandment^(H)

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law^(I) came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[c] 30} Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^{[d](J) 31} The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[e](K) There is no commandment greater than these.”

³² “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.^{(L) 33} To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^(M)

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”^(N) And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.^(O)

Paul’s Change of Plans

¹² Now this is our boast: Our conscience^(A) testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity^[a](B) and godly sincerity.^(C) We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom^(D) but on God’s grace. ¹³ For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, ¹⁴ as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.^(E)

¹⁵ Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you^(F) first so that you might benefit twice.^{(G) 16} I wanted to visit you on my way^(H) to Macedonia^(I) and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way^(J) to Judea.^{(K) 17} Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner^(L) so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?

¹⁸ But as surely as God is faithful,^(M) our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹ For the Son of God,^(N) Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas^[b](O) and Timothy^(P)—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always^(Q) been “Yes.” ²⁰ For no matter how many promises^(R) God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen”^(S) is spoken by us to the glory of God.^{(T) 21} Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm^(U) in Christ. He anointed^(V) us, ²² set his seal^(W) of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.^(X)

²³ I call God as my witness^(Y)—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you^(Z) that I did not return to Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we lord it over^(AA) your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.^(AB)