The Outworking of Love

^16 (A)By this we know love, ^(B)because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But ^(C)whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

¹³ for ^(A)it is God who works in you both to will and to do ^(B)for His good pleasure.

Collection for the Judean Saints

¹⁶ But thanks be to God who ^[a]puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

Excel in Giving

8 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: ² that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and ^(A)their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

¹⁴ Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of ^(A)Thyatira, who worshiped God. ^(B)The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

²⁶ Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for ^(A)she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!”

But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.”

³⁰ Now ^(A)his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and ^(B)wept there.