Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good. Then they’ll be able to take care of people who have urgent needs, and they won’t be living useless lives.
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care. Watch over them, not because you have to, but because you want to. That’s what God wants you to do. Don’t do it to try to get money in dishonest ways, but because you really want to serve.
Because a church leader takes care of God’s family, he must be blameless. He must not push people around, or get angry easily, or get drunk, or try to get money by cheating people.
So I thought I should encourage the brothers to visit you in advance and help you finish collecting the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a gift that’s freely given, not as one that’s given reluctantly.
So first I’m going to finish this task and make sure that the poor in Jerusalem receive this offering, and then I’ll go to Spain and visit you on my way.
You didn’t choose me, I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit that would endure, so that you would receive from the Father anything you ask for in my name.
Woe to them! They’ve followed the way of Cain. Because they love money, they’ve rushed into the same mistake Balaam made. They’ve rebelled just like Korah, and they’re going to be destroyed just as he was.
These teachers will be so greedy that they’ll make up stories to take advantage of you. But they’ve been under a sentence of death for a long time. Their destruction has not been sleeping.
Love for money causes all kinds of evil. By trying to get rich, some people have wandered away from the faith and been hurt by many sad things that have happened to them.