We know that we are from God, ¹  and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Therefore we ¹  ought to support such people, so that we become coworkers in cooperation with the truth. ² 

They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one ¹  really is the Savior of the world.” ² 

After ¹  we ²  tore ourselves away ³  from them, we put out to sea, ⁴  and sailing a straight course, ⁵  we came to Cos, ⁶  on the next day to Rhodes, ⁷  and from there to Patara. ⁸ 

But now we have been released from the law, because we have died ¹  to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code. ² 

But if we are afflicted, ¹  it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, ¹  regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, ²  that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living.

But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in ¹  what has been written, “I believed; therefore I spoke,” ²  we also believe, therefore we also speak.

For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, ¹  is dismantled, ²  we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens.

So then from now on we acknowledge ¹  no one from an outward human point of view. ²  Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, ³  now we do not know him in that way any longer.

For we were not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ. ¹ 

Have you been thinking all this time ¹  that we have been defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and everything we do, dear friends, is to build you up. ² 

But Christ ¹  is faithful as a son over God’s ²  house. We are of his house, ³  if in fact we hold firmly ⁴  to our confidence and the hope we take pride in. ⁵ 

Besides, we have experienced discipline from ¹  our earthly fathers ²  and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life? ³ 

For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return ¹  of our Lord Jesus Christ; ²  no, ³  we were ⁴  eyewitnesses of his ⁵  grandeur. ⁶ 

And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, ¹  we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it?

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.”

Then ¹  James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

John answered, ¹  “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop ²  him because he is not a disciple ³  along with us.”