6:1Children, do what is ordered by your fathers and mothers in the Lord: for this is right. 6:2Give honour to your father and mother (which is the first rule having a reward), 6:3So that all may be well for you, and your life may be long on the earth. 6:4And, you fathers, do not make your children angry: but give them training in the teaching and fear of the Lord. 6:5Servants, do what is ordered by those who are your natural masters, having respect and fear for them, with all your heart, as to Christ; 6:6Not only under your master's eye, as pleasers of men; but as servants of Christ, doing the pleasure of God from the heart; 6:7Doing your work readily, as to the Lord, and not to men: 6:8In the knowledge that for every good thing anyone does, he will have his reward from the Lord, If he is a servant or if he is free. 6:9And, you masters, do the same things to them, not making use of violent words: in the knowledge that their Master and yours is in heaven, and he has no respect for a man's position. 6:10Lastly, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his power. 6:11Take up God's instruments of war, so that you may be able to keep your position against all the deceits of the Evil One. 6:12For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil in the heavens. 6:13For this reason take up all the arms of God, so that you may be able to be strong in the evil day, and, having done all, to keep your place. 6:14Take your place, then, having your body clothed with the true word, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness; 6:15Be ready with the good news of peace as shoes on your feet; 6:16And most of all, using faith as a cover to keep off all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. 6:17And take salvation for your head-dress and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 6:18With prayers and deep desires, making requests at all times in the Spirit, and keeping watch, with strong purpose, in prayer for all the saints, 6:19And for me, that words may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make clear without fear the secret of the good news, 6:20For which I am a representative in chains, and that I may say without fear the things which it is right for me to say. 6:21But so that you may have knowledge of my business, and how I am, Tychicus, the well-loved brother and tested servant in the Lord, will give you news of all things: 6:22Whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, so that you may have knowledge of our position, and that he may give comfort to your hearts. 6:23Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 6:24Grace be with all those who have true love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians
1:1Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons of the church: 1:2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1:3I give praise to my God at every memory of you, 1:4And in all my prayers for you all, making my request with joy, 1:5Because of your help in giving the good news from the first day till now; 1:6For I am certain of this very thing, that he by whom the good work was started in you will make it complete till the day of Jesus Christ: 1:7So it is right for me to take thought for you all in this way, because I have you in my heart; for in my chains, and in my arguments before the judges in support of the good news, making clear that it is true, you all have your part with me in grace. 1:8For God is my witness, how my love goes out to you all in the loving mercies of Christ Jesus. 1:9And my prayer is that you may be increased more and more in knowledge and experience; 1:10So that you may give your approval to the best things; that you may be true and without wrongdoing till the day of Christ; 1:11Being full of the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 1:12Now it is my purpose to make clear to you, brothers, that the cause of the good news has been helped by my experiences; 1:13So that it became clear through all the Praetorium, and to all the rest, that I was a prisoner on account of Christ; 1:14And most of the brothers in the Lord, taking heart because of my chains, are all the stronger to give the word of God without fear. 1:15Though some are preaching Christ out of envy and competition, others do it out of a good heart: 1:16These do it from love, conscious that I am responsible for the cause of the good news: 1:17But those are preaching Christ in a spirit of competition, not from their hearts, but with the purpose of giving me pain in my prison. 1:18What then? only that in every way, falsely or truly, the preaching of Christ goes on; and in this I am glad, and will be glad. 1:19For I am conscious that this will be for my salvation, through your prayer and the giving out of the stored wealth of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 1:20In the measure of my strong hope and belief that in nothing will I be put to shame, but that without fear, as at all times, so now will Christ have glory in my body, by life or by death. 1:21For to me life is Christ and death is profit. 1:22But if I go on living in the flesh--if this is the fruit of my work--then I do not see what decision to make. 1:23I am in a hard position between the two, having a desire to go away and be with Christ, which is very much better: 1:24Still, to go on in the flesh is more necessary because of you. 1:25And being certain of this, I am conscious that I will go on, yes, and go on with you all, for your growth and joy in the faith; 1:26So that your pride in me may be increased in Christ Jesus through my being present with you again. 1:27Only let your behaviour do credit to the good news of Christ, so that if I come and see you or if I am away from you, I may have news of you that you are strong in one spirit, working together with one soul for the faith of the good news; 1:28Having no fear of those who are against you; which is a clear sign of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God; 1:29Because to you it has been given in the cause of Christ not only to have faith in him, but to undergo pain on his account: 1:30Fighting the same fight which you saw in me, and now have word of in me.
2:1If then there is any comfort in Christ, any help given by love, any uniting of hearts in the Spirit, any loving mercies and pity, 2:2Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in harmony and of one mind; 2:3Doing nothing through envy or through pride, but with low thoughts of self let everyone take others to be better than himself; 2:4Not looking everyone to his private good, but keeping in mind the things of others. 2:5Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, 2:6To whom, though himself in the form of God, it did not seem that to take for oneself was to be like God; 2:7But he made himself as nothing, taking the form of a servant, being made like men; 2:8And being seen in form as a man, he took the lowest place, and let himself be put to death, even the death of the cross. 2:9For this reason God has put him in the highest place and has given to him the name which is greater than every name; 2:10So that at the name of Jesus every knee may be bent, of those in heaven and those on earth and those in the underworld, 2:11And that every tongue may give witness that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 2:12So then, my loved ones, as you have at all times done what I say, not only when I am present, but now much more when I am not with you, give yourselves to working out your salvation with fear in your hearts; 2:13For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure. 2:14Do all things without protests and arguments; 2:15So that you may be holy and gentle, children of God without sin in a twisted and foolish generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, 2:16Offering the word of life; so that I may have glory in you in the day of Christ, because my running was not for nothing and my work was not without effect. 2:17And even if I am offered like a drink offering, giving myself for the cause and work of your faith, I am glad and have joy with you all: 2:18And in the same way do you be glad and have a part in my joy. 2:19But I am hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you before long, so that I may be comforted when I have news of you. 2:20For I have no man of like mind who will truly have care for you. 2:21For they all go after what is theirs, not after the things of Christ. 2:22But his quality is clear to you; how, as a child is to its father, so he was a help to me in the work of the good news. 2:23Him then I am hoping to send as quickly as possible, when I am able to see how things will go for me: 2:24But I have faith in the Lord that I myself will come before long. 2:25But it seemed to me necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, who has taken part with me in the work and in the fight, and your servant, sent by you for help in my need; 2:26Because his heart was with you all, and he was greatly troubled because you had news that he was ill: 2:27For in fact he was ill almost to death: but God had mercy on him; and not only on him but on me, so that I might not have grief on grief. 2:28I have sent him, then, the more gladly, so that when you see him again, you may be happy and I may have the less sorrow. 2:29So take him to your hearts in the Lord with all joy, and give honour to such as he is: 2:30Because for the work of Christ he was near to death, putting his life in danger to make your care for me complete.
3:1For the rest, my brothers, be glad in the Lord. Writing the same things to you is no trouble to me, and for you it is safe. 3:2Be on the watch against dogs, against the workers of evil, against those of the circumcision: 3:3For we are the circumcision, who give worship to God and have glory in Jesus Christ, and have no faith in the flesh: 3:4Even though I myself might have faith in the flesh: if any other man has reason to have faith in the flesh, I have more: 3:5Being given circumcision on the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in relation to the law, a Pharisee: 3:6In bitter hate I was cruel to the church; I kept all the righteousness of the law to the last detail. 3:7But those things which were profit to me, I gave up for Christ. 3:8Yes truly, and I am ready to give up all things for the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, which is more than all: for whom I have undergone the loss of all things, and to me they are less than nothing, so that I may have Christ as my reward, 3:9And be seen in him, not having my righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 3:10That I may have knowledge of him, and of the power of his coming back from the dead, and a part with him in his pains, becoming like him in his death; 3:11If in any way I may have the reward of life from the dead. 3:12Not as if I had even now got the reward or been made complete: but I go on in the hope that I may come to the knowledge of that for which I was made the servant of Christ Jesus. 3:13Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before, 3:14I go forward to the mark, even the reward of the high purpose of God in Christ Jesus. 3:15Then let us all, who have come to full growth, be of this mind: and if in anything you are of a different mind, even this will God make clear to you: 3:16Only, as far as we have got, let us be guided by the same rule. 3:17Brothers, take me as your example, and take note of those who are walking after the example we have given. 3:18For there are those, of whom I have given you word before, and do so now with sorrow, who are haters of the cross of Christ; 3:19Whose end is destruction, whose god is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, whose minds are fixed on the things of the earth. 3:20For our country is in heaven; from where the Saviour for whom we are waiting will come, even the Lord Jesus Christ: 3:21By whom this poor body of ours will be changed into the image of the body of his glory, in the measure of the working by which he is able to put all things under himself.
4:1So my brothers, well loved and very dear to me, my joy and crown, be strong in the Lord, my loved ones. 4:2I make request to Euodias and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 4:3And I make request to you, true helper in my work, to see to the needs of those women who took part with me in the good news, with Clement and the rest of my brother-workers whose names are in the book of life. 4:4Be glad in the Lord at all times: again I say, Be glad. 4:5Let your gentle behaviour be clear to all men. The Lord is near. 4:6Have no cares; but in everything with prayer and praise put your requests before God. 4:7And the peace of God, which is deeper than all knowledge, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 4:8For the rest, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have honour, whatever things are upright, whatever things are holy, whatever things are beautiful, whatever things are of value, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, give thought to these things. 4:9The things which came to you by my teaching and preaching, and which you saw in me, these things do, and the God of peace will be with you. 4:10But I am very glad in the Lord that your care for me has come to life again; though you did in fact take thought for me, but you were not able to give effect to it. 4:11But I will not say anything about my needs, for I am able, wherever I am, to be dependent on myself. 4:12It is the same to me if I am looked down on or honoured; everywhere and in all things I have the secret of how to be full and how to go without food; how to have wealth and how to be in need. 4:13I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength. 4:14But you did well to have care for me in my need. 4:15And you have knowledge, Philippians, that when the good news first came to you, when I went away from Macedonia, no church took part with me in the business of giving to the saints, but you only; 4:16Because even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to me in my need. 4:17Not that I am looking for an offering, but for fruit which may be put to your credit. 4:18I have all things and more than enough: I am made full, having had from Epaphroditus the things which came from you, a perfume of a sweet smell, an offering well pleasing to God. 4:19And my God will give you all you have need of from the wealth of his glory in Christ Jesus. 4:20Now to God our Father be glory for ever and ever. So be it. 4:21Give words of love to every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their love. 4:22All the saints send their love to you, specially those who are of Caesar's house. 4:23The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Colossians
1:1Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the purpose of God, and Timothy our brother, 1:2To the saints and true brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 1:3We give praise to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, making prayer for you at all times, 1:4After hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have for all the saints, 1:5Through the hope which is in store for you in heaven; knowledge of which was given to you before in the true word of the good news, 1:6Which has come to you; and which in all the world is giving fruit and increase, as it has done in you from the day when it came to your ears and you had true knowledge of the grace of God; 1:7As it was given to you by Epaphras, our well-loved helper, who is a true servant of Christ for us, 1:8And who, himself, made clear to us your love in the Spirit. 1:9For this reason, we, from the day when we had word of it, keep on in prayer for you, that you may be full of the knowledge of his purpose, with all wisdom and experience of the Spirit, 1:10Living uprightly in the approval of the Lord, giving fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 1:11Full of strength in the measure of the great power of his glory, so that you may undergo all troubles with joy; 1:12Giving praise to the Father who has given us a part in the heritage of the saints in light; 1:13Who has made us free from the power of evil and given us a place in the kingdom of the Son of his love; 1:14In whom we have our salvation, the forgiveness of sins: 1:15Who is the image of the unseen God coming into existence before all living things; 1:16For by him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and powers; all things were made by him and for him; 1:17He is before all things, and in him all things have being. 1:18And he is the head of the body, the church: the starting point of all things, the first to come again from the dead; so that in all things he might have the chief place. 1:19For God in full measure was pleased to be in him; 1:20Through him uniting all things with himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, uniting all things which are on earth or in heaven. 1:21And you, who in the past were cut off and at war with God in your minds through evil works, he has now made one 1:22In the body of his flesh through death, so that you might be holy and without sin and free from all evil before him: 1:23If you keep yourselves safely based in the faith, not moved from the hope of the good news which came to you, and which was given to every living being under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant. 1:24Now I have joy in my pain because of you, and in my flesh I undergo whatever is still needed to make the sorrows of Christ complete, for the salvation of his body, the church; 1:25Of which I became a servant by the purpose of God which was given to me for you, to give effect to the word of God, 1:26The secret which has been kept from all times and generations, but has now been made clear to his saints, 1:27To whom God was pleased to give knowledge of the wealth of the glory of this secret among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 1:28Whom we are preaching; guiding and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that every man may be complete in Christ; 1:29And for this purpose I am working, using all my strength by the help of his power which is working in me strongly.
2:1For it is my desire to give you news of the great fight I am making for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh; 2:2So that their hearts may be comforted, and that being joined together in love, they may come to the full wealth of the certain knowledge of the secret of God, even Christ, 2:3In whom are all the secret stores of wisdom and knowledge. 2:4I say this so that you may not be turned away by any deceit of words. 2:5For though I am not present in the flesh, still I am with you in the spirit, seeing with joy your order, and your unchanging faith in Christ. 2:6As, then, you took Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on in him, 2:7Rooted and based together in him, strong in the faith which the teaching gave you, giving praise to God at all times. 2:8Take care that no one takes you away by force, through man's wisdom and deceit, going after the beliefs of men and the theories of the world, and not after Christ: 2:9For in him all the wealth of God's being has a living form, 2:10And you are complete in him, who is the head of all rule and authority: 2:11In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; 2:12Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from the dead. 2:13And you, being dead through your sins and the evil condition of your flesh, to you, I say, he gave life together with him, and forgiveness of all our sins; 2:14Having put an end to the handwriting of the law which was against us, taking it out of the way by nailing it to his cross; 2:15Having made himself free from the rule of authorities and powers, he put them openly to shame, glorying over them in it. 2:16For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths: 2:17For these are an image of the things which are to come; but the body is Christ's. 2:18Let no man take your reward from you by consciously making little of himself and giving worship to angels; having his thoughts fixed on the things which he has seen, being foolishly lifted up in his natural mind, 2:19And not joined to the Head, from whom all the body, being given strength and kept together through its joins and bands, has its growth with the increase of God. 2:20If you were made free, by your death with Christ, from the rules of the world, why do you put yourselves under the authority of orders 2:21Which say there may be no touching, tasting, or taking in your hands, 2:22(Rules which are all to come to an end with their use) after the orders and teaching of men? 2:23These things seem to have a sort of wisdom in self-ordered worship and making little of oneself, and being cruel to the body, not honouring it by giving it its natural use.
3:1If then you have a new life with Christ, give your attention to the things of heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 3:2Keep your mind on the higher things, not on the things of earth. 3:3For your life on earth is done, and you have a secret life with Christ in God. 3:4At the coming of Christ who is our life, you will be seen with him in glory. 3:5Then put to death your bodies which are of the earth; wrong use of the flesh, unclean things, passion, evil desires and envy, which is the worship of strange gods; 3:6Because of which the wrath of God comes on those who go against his orders; 3:7Among whom you were living in the past, when you did such things. 3:8But now it is right for you to put away all these things; wrath, passion, bad feeling, curses, unclean talk; 3:9Do not make false statements to one another; because you have put away the old man with all his doings, 3:10And have put on the new man, which has become new in knowledge after the image of his maker; 3:11Where there is no Greek or Jew, no one with circumcision or without circumcision, no division between nations, no servant or free man: but Christ is all and in all. 3:12As saints of God, then, holy and dearly loved, let your behaviour be marked by pity and mercy, kind feeling, a low opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, and a power of undergoing all things; 3:13Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you: 3:14And more than all, have love; the only way in which you may be completely joined together. 3:15And let the peace of Christ be ruling in your hearts, as it was the purpose of God for you to be one body; and give praise to God at all times. 3:16Let the word of Christ be in you in all wealth of wisdom; teaching and helping one another with songs of praise and holy words, making melody to God with grace in your hearts. 3:17And whatever you do, in word or in act, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving praise to God the Father through him. 3:18Wives, be under the authority of your husbands, as is right in the Lord. 3:19Husbands, have love for your wives, and be not bitter against them. 3:20Children, do the orders of your fathers and mothers in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 3:21Fathers, do not be hard on your children, so that their spirit may not be broken. 3:22Servants, in all things do the orders of your natural masters; not only when their eyes are on you, as pleasers of men, but with all your heart, fearing the Lord: 3:23Whatever you do, do it readily, as to the Lord and not to men; 3:24Being certain that the Lord will give you the reward of the heritage: for you are the servants of the Lord Christ. 3:25For the wrongdoer will have punishment for the wrong he has done, without respect for any man's position.
4:1Masters, give your servants what is right and equal, conscious that you have a Master in heaven. 4:2Give yourselves to prayer at all times, keeping watch with praise; 4:3And making prayer for us, that God may give us an open door for the preaching of the word, the secret of Christ, for which I am now in chains; 4:4So that I may make it clear, as it is right for me to do. 4:5Be wise in your behaviour to those who are outside, making good use of the time. 4:6Let your talk be with grace, mixed with salt, so that you may be able to give an answer to everyone. 4:7Tychicus will give you news of all my business: he is a dear brother and true servant and helper in the word; 4:8And I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may have news of how we are, and so that he may give your hearts comfort; 4:9And with him I have sent Onesimus, the true and well-loved brother, who is one of you. They will give you word of everything which is taking place here. 4:10Aristarchus, my brother-prisoner, sends his love to you, and Mark, a relation of Barnabas (about whom you have been given orders: if he comes to you, be kind to him), 4:11And Jesus, whose other name is Justus; these are of the circumcision: they are my only brother-workers for the kingdom of God, who have been a comfort to me. 4:12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his love, ever taking thought for you in his prayers, that you may be complete and fully certain of all the purpose of God. 4:13For I give witness of him that he has undergone much trouble for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 4:14Luke, our well-loved medical friend, and Demas, send you their love. 4:15Give my love to the brothers in Laodicea and to Nymphas and the church in their house. 4:16And when this letter has been made public among you, let the same be done in the church of Laodicea; and see that you have the letter from Laodicea. 4:17Say to Archippus, See that you do the work which the Lord has given you to do. 4:18I, Paul, give you this word of love in my handwriting. Keep in memory that I am a prisoner. Grace be with you.
1 Thessalonians
1:1Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 1:2We give praise to God at all times for you, keeping you in memory in our prayers; 1:3Having ever in mind your work of faith and acts of love and the strength of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father; 1:4Being conscious, my brothers, dear to God, that you have been marked out by God's purpose; 1:5Because our good news came to you, not in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Spirit, so that you were completely certain of it; even as you saw what our behaviour to you was like from our love to you. 1:6And you took us and the Lord as your example, after the word had come to you in much trouble, with joy in the Holy Spirit; 1:7So that you became an example to all those who have faith in Christ in Macedonia and Achaia. 1:8For not only was the word of the Lord sounding out from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God is made clear; so that we have no need to say anything. 1:9For they themselves give the news of how we came among you; and how you were turned from images to God, to the worship of a true and living God, 1:10Waiting for his Son from heaven, who came back from the dead, even Jesus, our Saviour from the wrath to come.
2:1For you yourselves, brothers, are conscious that our coming among you was not without effect: 2:2But after we had first undergone much pain and been cruelly attacked as you saw, at Philippi, by the help of God we gave you the good news without fear, though everything was against us. 2:3For our witness does not come from error or from an unclean heart or from deceit: 2:4But even as the good news was given to us by the approval of God, so we give it out; not as pleasing men, but God by whom our hearts are tested. 2:5For it is common knowledge among you that we never made use of smooth-sounding false words, and God is witness that at no time were we secretly desiring profit for ourselves, 2:6Or looking for glory from men, from you or from others, when we might have made ourselves a care to you as Apostles of Christ. 2:7But we were gentle among you, like a woman caring for her little ones: 2:8Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us. 2:9For you have the memory, my brothers, of our trouble and care; how, working night and day, so that we might not be a trouble to any of you, we gave you the good news of God. 2:10You are witnesses, with God, how holy and upright and free from all evil was our way of life among you who have faith; 2:11Even as you saw how, like a father with his children, we were teaching and comforting you all, and giving witness, 2:12So that your lives might be pleasing to God, who has given you a part in his kingdom and his glory. 2:13And for this cause we still give praise to God, that, when the word came to your ears through us, you took it, not as the word of man, but, as it truly is, the word of God, which has living power in you who have faith. 2:14For you, my brothers, took as your examples the churches of God which are in Judaea in Christ Jesus; because you underwent the same things from your countrymen as they did from the Jews; 2:15Who put to death the Lord Jesus and the prophets, violently driving us out; who are unpleasing to God and against all men; 2:16Who, to make the measure of their sins complete, kept us from giving the word of salvation to the Gentiles: but the wrath of God is about to come on them in the fullest degree. 2:17But we, my brothers, being away from you for a short time, in body but not in heart, had all the more desire to see your face; 2:18For which reason we made attempts to come to you, even I, Paul, once and again; but Satan kept us from coming. 2:19For what is our hope or joy or crown of glory? Are not even you, before our Lord Jesus, at his coming? 2:20For you are our glory and our joy.
3:1At last our desire to have news of you was so strong that, while we ourselves were waiting at Athens, 3:2We sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the good news of Christ, to give you strength and comfort in your faith; 3:3So that no man might be moved by these troubles; because you see that these things are part of God's purpose for us. 3:4And when we were with you, we said to you that trouble was before us; and so it came about, as you see. 3:5For this reason, when I was no longer able to keep quiet, I sent to get news of your faith, fearing that you might be tested by the Evil One and that our work might come to nothing. 3:6But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has given us good news of your faith and love, and that you have happy memories of us, desiring greatly to see us, even as we do to see you; 3:7For this cause, brothers, in all our trouble and grief we were comforted about you because of your faith; 3:8For it is life to us if you keep your faith in the Lord unchanged. 3:9For how great is the praise which we give to God for you, and how great the joy with which we are glad because of you before our God; 3:10Night and day requesting God again and again that we may see your face and make your faith complete. 3:11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus make a way for us to come to you; 3:12And the Lord give you increase of love in fullest measure to one another and to all men, even as our love to you; 3:13So that your hearts may be strong and free from all sin before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
4:1And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more. 4:2Because you have in mind the orders we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 4:3For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh; 4:4So that every one of you may keep his body holy and in honour; 4:5Not in the passion of evil desires, like the Gentiles, who have no knowledge of God; 4:6And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness. 4:7Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy. 4:8Whoever, then, goes against this word, goes against not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 4:9But about loving the brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you in this letter: for you have the teaching of God that love for one another is right and necessary; 4:10And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more; 4:11And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders; 4:12That you may be respected by those who are outside, and may have need of nothing. 4:13But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope. 4:14For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power. 4:15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping. 4:16Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first; 4:17Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord. 4:18So then, give comfort to one another with these words.
5:1But about the times and their order, my brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you. 5:2For you yourselves have the knowledge that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 5:3When they say, There is peace and no danger, then sudden destruction will come on them, as birth-pains on a woman with child; and they will not be able to get away from it. 5:4But you, my brothers, are not in the dark, for that day to overtake you like a thief: 5:5For you are all sons of light and of the day: we are not of the night or of the dark. 5:6So then, let us not take our rest as the others do, but let us be self-controlled and awake. 5:7For those who are sleeping do so in the night; and those who are the worse for drink are so in the night; 5:8But let us, who are of the day, be serious, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and on our heads, the hope of salvation. 5:9For God's purpose for us is not wrath, but salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:10Who was put to death for us, so that, awake or sleeping, we may have a part in his life. 5:11So then, go on comforting and building up one another, as you have been doing. 5:12But we make this request to you, my brothers: give attention to those who are working among you, who are over you in the Lord to keep order among you; 5:13And have a high opinion of them in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 5:14And our desire is that you will keep control over those whose lives are not well ordered, giving comfort to the feeble-hearted, supporting those with little strength, and putting up with much from all. 5:15Let no one give evil for evil; but ever go after what is good, for one another and for all. 5:16Have joy at all times. 5:17Keep on with your prayers. 5:18In everything give praise: for this is the purpose of God in Christ Jesus for you. 5:19Do not put out the light of the Spirit; 5:20Do not make little of the words of the prophets; 5:21Let all things be tested; keep to what is good; 5:22Keep from every form of evil. 5:23And may the God of peace himself make you holy in every way; and may your spirit and soul and body be free from all sin at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5:24God, by whom you have been marked out in his purpose, is unchanging and will make it complete. 5:25Brothers, keep us in mind in your prayers. 5:26Give all the brothers a holy kiss. 5:27I give orders in the name of the Lord that all the brothers are to be present at the reading of this letter. 5:28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
2 Thessalonians
1:1Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 1:2Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1:3It is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, because of the great increase of your faith, and the wealth of your love for one another; 1:4So that we ourselves take pride in you in the churches of God for your untroubled mind and your faith in all the troubles and sorrows which you are going through; 1:5Which is a clear sign of the decision which God in his righteousness has made; to give you a part in his kingdom, for which you have undergone this pain; 1:6For it is an act of righteousness on God's part to give trouble as their reward to those who are troubling you, 1:7And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with the angels of his power in flames of fire, 1:8To give punishment to those who have no knowledge of God, and to those who do not give ear to the good news of our Lord Jesus: 1:9Whose reward will be eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, 1:10At his coming, when he will have glory in his saints, and will be a cause of wonder in all those who had faith (because our witness among you had effect) in that day. 1:11For this reason, you are ever in our prayers, that you may seem to our God such as may have a part in his purpose and that by his power he will make all his good purpose, and the work of faith, complete; 1:12So that glory may be given to the name of our Lord Jesus through you, and you may have glory in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2:1Now as to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our meeting with him, it is our desire, my brothers, 2:2That you may not be moved in mind or troubled by a spirit, or by a word, or by a letter as from us, with the suggestion that the day of the Lord is even now come; 2:3Give no belief to false words: because there will first be a falling away from the faith, and the revelation of the man of sin, the son of destruction, 2:4Who puts himself against all authority, lifting himself up over all which is named God or is given worship; so that he takes his seat in the Temple of God, putting himself forward as God. 2:5Have you no memory of what I said when I was with you, giving you word of these things? 2:6And now it is clear to you what is keeping back his revelation till the time comes for him to be seen. 2:7For the secret of evil is even now at work: but there is one who is keeping back the evil till he is taken out of the way. 2:8And then will come the revelation of that evil one, whom the Lord Jesus will put to death with the breath of his mouth, and give to destruction by the revelation of his coming; 2:9Even the one whose coming is marked by the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 2:10And with every deceit of wrongdoing among those whose fate is destruction; because they were quite without that love of the true faith by which they might have salvation. 2:11And for this cause, God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in what is false: 2:12So that they all may be judged, who had no faith in what is true, but took pleasure in evil. 2:13But it is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, loved by the Lord, because it was the purpose of God from the first that you might have salvation, being made holy by the Spirit and by faith in what is true: 2:14And in this purpose he gave you a part through the good news of which we were the preachers, even that you might have part in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2:15So then, brothers, be strong in purpose, and keep the teaching which has been given to you by word or by letter from us. 2:16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who had love for us and has given us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 2:17Give you comfort and strength in every good work and word.