I can do nothing on my own initiative. ¹  Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, ²  because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me. ³ 

Now this is the will of the one who sent me – that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up ¹  at the last day.

Jesus replied, ¹  “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. ²  The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people ³  say, ‘He is our God.’

Immediately an angel of the Lord ¹  struck ²  Herod ³  down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. ⁴ 

After the reading from the law and the prophets, ¹  the leaders of the synagogue ²  sent them a message, ³  saying, “Brothers, ⁴  if you have any message ⁵  of exhortation ⁶  for the people, speak it.” ⁷ 

So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ¹  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ²  made by human ³  skill ⁴  and imagination. ⁵ 

But just as Paul was about to speak, ¹  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ²  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ³  of you Jews, ⁴ 

But I do not consider my life ¹  worth anything ²  to myself, so that ³  I may finish my task ⁴  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ⁵  of God’s grace.

But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided ¹  that they should avoid ²  meat that has been sacrificed to idols ³  and blood and what has been strangled ⁴  and sexual immorality.”

As day was about to dawn, ¹  Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense ²  and have gone ³  without food; you have eaten nothing. ⁴ 

Indeed, he who ¹  did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?

because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord ¹  and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

The one who eats everything must not despise the one who does not, and the one who abstains must not judge the one who eats everything, for God has accepted him.

But the man who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not do so from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin. ¹ 

Already you are satisfied! Already you are rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you!

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. ¹  In fact, it would be better for me to die than – no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting! ² 

What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel.

If an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is served without asking questions of conscience.

but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member,

So here is my opinion on this matter: It is to your advantage, since you ¹  made a good start last year both in your giving and your desire to give,