This was according to ¹  the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

You, however, ¹  have followed my teaching, my ²  way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance,

The Lord works ¹  everything for its own ends ²  – even the wicked for the day of disaster. ³ 

And we know that all things work together ¹  for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances ¹  and that he may encourage your hearts.

There are many plans ¹  in a person’s mind, ²  but it ³  is the counsel ⁴  of the Lord which will stand.

In Christ ¹  we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, ²  since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will

I sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are doing ¹  and that he may encourage your hearts.

For I did not hold back from ¹  announcing ²  to you the whole purpose ³  of God.

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted;

even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election ¹  would stand, not by works but by ²  his calling) ³  –

to do as much as your power ¹  and your plan ²  had decided beforehand ³  would happen.

Have you suffered so many things for nothing? – if indeed it was for nothing.

However, the Pharisees ¹  and the experts in religious law ²  rejected God’s purpose ³  for themselves, because they had not been baptized ⁴  by John. ⁵ ) ⁶ 

In the same way ¹  God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, ²  and so he intervened with an oath,

For the scripture says to Pharaoh: ¹  “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” ² 

He is the one who saved us ¹  and called us with a holy calling, not based on ²  our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ³ 

For God has put into their minds ¹  to carry out his purpose ²  by making ³  a decision ⁴  to give their royal power ⁵  to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. ⁶ 

They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. ¹  They plan how to hide ²  snares, and boast, ³  “Who will see them?” ⁴ 

For David, after he had served ¹  God’s purpose in his own generation, died, ²  was buried with his ancestors, ³  and experienced ⁴  decay,