17 And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 19 But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.
22 I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.
23 Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.
Tori's Comments:
This is why bible reading is so important. I can be rooted in the truth, and know right from wrong in these sort of situations. Keeping the gospel in my heart and on my mind is a priority!
Terrie's Comments:
Knowing the truth is the only way to know if you are being deceived. If we are to stay innocent of any wrong we need to remain in the word of God always... this is a never ending task. After 30 years of reading my Bible, I still feel like each time I read through the scriptures the Holy Spirit reveals more to me.
Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
"Such people are serving their own personal interests" when they twist the truth in God's word...possibly personal interests like being accepted by most of society, avoiding conflict, joining others to their cause, etc. I think even us believers need to be constantly on guard and in God's Word to avoid our focus sliding off of Him and onto us/secular society/severely-watered-down Christian society.
ReplyDeleteI'm so with you on those examples! I have seen a lot of people 'trimming' Jesus down into what they think is more culturally acceptable, forgetting that Jesus is the steadfast rock to cling to, CERTAINLY not culture. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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