Now food will not bring us close to God. We are no worse if we do not eat and no better if we do.

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,

No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.

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

Now, brothers and sisters, you know about the household of Stephanus, that as the first converts of Achaia, they devoted themselves to ministry for the saints. I urge you

For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you.

as you also join in helping us by prayer, so that many people may give thanks to God on our behalf for the gracious gift given to us through the help of many.

just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him – for indeed what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ,

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place.

who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.

For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died.

And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you,

I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering.

And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich.

And we are sending with them our brother whom we have tested many times and found eager in many matters, but who now is much more eager than ever because of the great confidence he has in you.

For if any of the Macedonians should come with me and find that you are not ready to give, we would be humiliated (not to mention you) by this confidence we had in you.