¹³ I do not want you to be unaware,^(A) brothers and sisters,^[a](B) that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now)^(C) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

²¹ After all this had happened, Paul decided^[a] to go to Jerusalem,^(A) passing through Macedonia^(B) and Achaia.^(C) “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”^(D)

¹⁷ Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.^(A)

¹⁷ But the Lord stood at my side^(A) and gave me strength,^(B) so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.^(C) And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.^(D)

Believers Who Have Died

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed^(A) about those who sleep in death,^(B) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.^(C)

¹⁸ For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^(A) blocked our way.^(B)

⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed,^(A) brothers and sisters,^[a] about the troubles we experienced^(B) in the province of Asia.^(C) We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit,^(A) brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.^(B)

Warnings From Israel’s History

10 For I do not want you to be ignorant^(A) of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud^(B) and that they all passed through the sea.^(C)