For they exchanged God’s truth for the [devil’s] lie, and worshiped and served what was created instead of the Creator, who is to be praised forever. May it be so.
The person who loves his father and mother more than me does not deserve me [i.e., to be my disciple]. And the person who loves his son or daughter more than me does not deserve me [i.e., to be my disciple].
No person can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will cling to the one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and material things [at the same time].
For God’s extreme anger is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people who restrain the truth [from being known and obeyed] by their wickedness.
They are descended from our forefathers; they are the ones from whom Christ was born physically. He is God over everything [Note: Or this may be “God is over everything”] and should be praised forever! May it be so.
For those people themselves report on what kind of a reception we had from you, and how you people turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God.
And [in addition], we know that the Son of God has come [in a physical body, See 4:2] and has given us understanding, so that we can know the True One [i.e., God], and that we are in [fellowship with] the True One, even His Son Jesus Christ. This Son is the true God and eternal life.