Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, Nymphodora; Poulcheria the Empress

But as you abound in everything—in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us—see that you also abound in this grace.

⁸I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. ⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. ¹⁰I give advice in this: it is expedient for you who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing. ¹¹But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability. ¹²For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have. ¹³For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed, ¹⁴but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack, that there may be equality. ¹⁵As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. ¹⁸He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God. ¹⁹This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. ²¹But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”