⁸ sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of ^[a]you.

^12 (A)having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, ^(B)they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—

^16 (A)having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

Error and Greed

³ If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to ^(A)wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(B)and to the ^[a]doctrine which accords with godliness,

¹⁴ Do all things ^(A)without ^[a]complaining and ^(B)disputing,^{[b] 15} that you may become blameless and ^[c]harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as ^(C)lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that ^(D)I may rejoice in the day of Christ that ^(E)I have not run in vain or labored in ^(F)vain.

¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word in this ^[a]epistle, note that person and ^(A)do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.

⁹ Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk ^(A)in the fear of our God ^(B)because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

The Lord Vindicates Zion