Daily Text and Bible Reading: Wednesday, December 18 [Press play below]

1.1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the accurate knowledge of the truth that is according to godly devotion
1.2 and is based on a hope of the everlasting life that God, who cannot lie, promised long ago;
1.3 but in his own due time, he made his word known through the preaching entrusted to me according to the command of our Savior, God;
1.4 to Titus, a genuine child according to the faith we share: May you have undeserved kindness and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
1.5 I left you in Crete so that you would correct the things that were defective and make appointments of elders in city after city, as I instructed you:
1.6 if there is any man free from accusation, a husband of one wife, having believing children who are not accused of debauchery or rebelliousness.
1.7 For as God’s steward, an overseer must be free from accusation, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy of dishonest gain,
1.8 but hospitable, a lover of goodness, sound in mind, righteous, loyal, self-controlled,
1.9 holding firmly to the faithful word as respects his art of teaching, so that he may be able both to encourage by the teaching that is wholesome and to reprove those who contradict.
1.10 For there are many rebellious men, profitless talkers, and deceivers, especially those who adhere to the circumcision.
1.11 It is necessary to shut their mouths, because these very men keep on subverting entire households by teaching things they should not for the sake of dishonest gain.
1.12 A certain one of them, their own prophet, said: “Cretans are always liars, injurious wild beasts, idle gluttons.”
1.13 This witness is true. For this very reason, keep on reproving them with severity so that they may be healthy in the faith,
1.14 paying no attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
1.15 All things are clean to clean people; but to those who are defiled and faithless, nothing is clean, for both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
1.16 They publicly declare that they know God, but they disown him by their works, because they are detestable and disobedient and not approved for good work of any sort.
2.1 You, however, keep on speaking what is consistent with wholesome teaching.
2.2 Let the older men be moderate in habits, serious, sound in mind, healthy in faith, in love, in endurance.
2.3 Likewise, let the older women be reverent in behavior, not slanderous, not enslaved to a lot of wine, teachers of what is good,
2.4 so that they may advise the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children,
2.5 to be sound in mind, chaste, working at home, good, subjecting themselves to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be spoken of abusively.
2.6 Likewise, keep on urging the younger men to be sound in mind,
2.7 showing yourself to be an example of fine works in every way. Teach what is pure with all seriousness,
2.8 using wholesome speech that cannot be criticized, so that those who oppose may be put to shame, having nothing negative to say about us.
2.9 Let slaves be in subjection to their owners in all things, trying to please them, not talking back,
2.10 not stealing from them, but showing complete trustworthiness, so that in every way they may adorn the teaching of our Savior, God.
2.11 For the undeserved kindness of God has been manifested, bringing salvation to all sorts of people.
2.12 It trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with soundness of mind and righteousness and godly devotion amid this present system of things,
2.13 while we wait for the happy hope and glorious manifestation of the great God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ,
2.14 who gave himself for us to set us free from every sort of lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people who are his own special possession, zealous for fine works.
2.15 Keep on speaking these things and exhorting and reproving with full authority. Do not let anyone look down on you.
3.1 Continue reminding them to be in subjection and to be obedient to governments and authorities, to be ready for every good work,
3.2 to speak injuriously of no one, not to be quarrelsome, but to be reasonable, displaying all mildness toward all men.
3.3 For we too were once senseless, disobedient, led astray, being slaves to various desires and pleasures, carrying on in badness and envy, detestable, hating one another.
3.4 However, when the kindness of our Savior, God, and his love for mankind were manifested
3.5 (not because of any righteous works we had done, but because of his own mercy), he saved us by means of the bath that brought us to life and by making us new by holy spirit.
3.6 He poured this spirit out richly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior,
3.7 so that after being declared righteous through the undeserved kindness of that one, we might become heirs according to a hope of everlasting life.
3.8 These words are trustworthy, and I want you to keep stressing these matters, so that those who have believed God may keep their minds focused on maintaining fine works. These things are fine and beneficial to men.
3.9 But have nothing to do with foolish arguments and genealogies and disputes and fights over the Law, for they are unprofitable and futile.
3.10 As for a man who promotes a sect, reject him after a first and a second admonition,
3.11 knowing that such a man has deviated from the way and is sinning and is self-condemned.
3.12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your utmost to come to me at Nicopolis, for that is where I have decided to spend the winter.
3.13 Carefully supply Zenas, who is versed in the Law, and Apollos so that they may lack nothing for their trip.
3.14 But let our people also learn to maintain fine works so as to help in cases of urgent need, so that they may not be unproductive.
3.15 All those with me send you their greetings. Give my greetings to those who have affection for us in the faith. May the undeserved kindness be with all of you.
1.1 Paul, a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved fellow worker,
1.2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the congregation that is in your house:
1.3 May you have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1.4 I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers,
1.5 as I keep hearing of your faith and the love that you have for the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones.
1.6 I pray that your sharing in the faith may move you to acknowledge every good thing that we have through Christ.
1.7 For I received much joy and comfort on hearing of your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed through you, brother.
1.8 For this very reason, though I have great freeness of speech in connection with Christ to order you to do what is proper,
1.9 I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love, seeing that I am Paul an older man, yes, now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.
1.10 I am appealing to you for my child, whose father I became while in prison, Onesimus.
1.11 He was formerly useless to you, but now he is useful to you and to me.
1.12 I am sending him back to you, yes him, my very own heart.
1.13 I would like to keep him here for myself so that he might take your place in ministering to me during my imprisonment for the sake of the good news.
1.14 But I do not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed may be done, not under compulsion, but of your own free will.
1.15 Perhaps this is really why he broke away for a short while, so that you may have him back forever,
1.16 no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave, as a brother who is beloved, especially so to me, but how much more so to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
1.17 So if you consider me a friend, receive him kindly the same way you would me.
1.18 Moreover, if he did you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to my account.
1.19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand: I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me even your own self.
1.20 Yes, brother, may I receive this assistance from you in connection with the Lord; refresh my heart in connection with Christ.
1.21 I am confident that you will comply, so I am writing you, knowing that you will do even more than what I say.
1.22 But along with that, also prepare a place for me to stay, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be given back to you.
1.23 Sending you greetings is Epaphras, my fellow captive in union with Christ Jesus,
1.24 also Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
1.25 The undeserved kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit you show.