He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this.

Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

These things I have written to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’

Beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues.

Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’

For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,

Thus we urged Titus that, just as he had previously begun this work, so also he should complete this act of kindness for you.

For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit!

For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love.

For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, in fact tried again and again) but Satan thwarted us.

By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

But Paul said to the police officers, “They had us beaten in public without a proper trial – even though we are Roman citizens – and they threw us in prison. And now they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! They themselves must come and escort us out!”

But now Timothy has come to us from you and given us the good news of your faith and love and that you always think of us with affection and long to see us just as we also long to see you!

Then the demons begged him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.

They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.

After we tore ourselves away from them, we put out to sea, and sailing a straight course, we came to Cos, on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

But again I ask, didn’t Israel understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger.”