for even in Thessalonica and once and again you sent to my need.

Not that I desire a gift, but I desire the fruit which abounds to your account.

And God shall fully supply all your need, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Therefore we also, from the day that we heard, cease not to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

if indeed you continue founded and established in the faith, and not moved from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached in all the creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

For I wish you to know what a conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,

See that no one leads you off as a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,

in whom you are also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, with the putting off of the body of the flesh, with the circumcision of Christ,

Let no one wishing [it] deprive you of your reward by humility and a worship of angels, intruding into what he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his carnal mind,

and not holding the head, from which all the body being supplied and compacted by means of joints and tendons grows with an increase of God.

If therefore you died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why do you practice ordinances as living in the world,??21 you shall not touch, you shall not taste, you shall not feel,??22 all which are to perish in the using??ccording to the commandments and instructions of men?

employ your minds on things above, not on things on the earth.

lie not one to another; put off the old man with his doings,

where there are not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, servant, freeman, but Christ is all things and in all.

Husbands, love the wives and be not bitter to them.

Fathers, be not fault-finding with your children, that they be not discouraged.

Servants, obey in all things masters according to the flesh, not with eye service, as those pleasing men, but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord.

And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men;

that our gospel came not to you in word only, but with power and with the Holy Spirit and with full assurance, as you know what we were among you for your sakes.

For from you the word of the Lord was proclaimed not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith with respect to God went into every place, so that we had no need to say any thing;

For you know, brothers, our introduction to you that it was not in vain,

For our exhortation was not of error, nor of impurity, nor with deceit,

but as we were judged worthy by God to be intrusted with the gospel so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tries our hearts.

so being greatly desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but our own souls, because you were dear to us.

For you remember, brothers, our labor and weariness; that working night and day not to be burdensome to any one of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, that receiving the word of God heard from us, you received not a word of men, but, as it is in truth, a word of God, who also works in you that believe.

who also killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us, and who please not God and are hostile to all men,

But we, brothers, being deprived of you for a short time in presence, not in heart, used greater diligence to see your face, with much desire.

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you before our Lord Jesus at his coming?

desiring exceedingly, night and day, to see your face, and to perfect what is lacking of your faith?

not with inordinate desires like the gentiles who know not God,

that he should not go beyond and defraud his brother in the matter, because the Lord is a punisher of all these, as we also told you before and fully testified.

For God has not called us to impurity, but to purity.

He therefore that despises, despises not man, but God, who also gives us his Holy Spirit.

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you; for you are taught by God to love one another;

that you may walk becomingly towards those without and have need of nothing.

And we wish you not to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those that have fallen asleep, that you may not grieve as others who have no hope.

For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who live and remain till the coming of the Lord, shall not anticipate those that have fallen asleep,

But concerning the times and season, brothers, you have no need that I should write to you;

for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.

When they say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes, like pain upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.

But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the day should come upon you like a thief;

for you are all children of light, and children of day; we are not of night nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep as others, but let us watch and be sober.

For they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that are drunk drink in the night;

for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Quench not the Spirit,

despise not prophecies.

in a flame of fire, executing judgment on all that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus;

that you be not soon shaken in mind, nor terrified, neither by a spirit, nor by a discourse, nor by an epistle as from us, as though the day of the Lord was at hand.

Let no one deceive you in any way, for [he shall not come] unless the apostacy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction,

Do you not remember that when I was with you I told you of these things?

and with every unrighteous deceit among those who are destroyed, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved.

that they all may be condemned who believe not the truth but have pleasure in wickedness.

and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for all have not faith.

And we charge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which you received from us.

For you know yourselves how you ought to follow us, for we walked not disorderly among you,

neither did we eat bread of any one for nought, but worked with labor and fatigue, night and day, not to be burdensome to any of you;

not that we have not a right [to a support], but that we may make ourselves an example for you to follow us.

For when we were with you, we gave you this charge, that if any one will not work, neither let him eat.

For we hear that some go about among you in a disorderly manner, not working, but being above work;

But, brothers, be not weary of well doing.

But if any one obeys not our word by this epistle, mark that one, and have no association with him, that he may be ashamed;

and account him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

As I requested you to remain at Ephesus, when going into Macedonia, that you might charge some not to preach another doctrine,

desiring to be teachers of the law, not understanding what they say nor about what they make confident assertions.

knowing this, that a law is not made for a righteous man, but for the wicked and disorderly, the impious and sinful, the unholy and profane, murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers and murderers of their fellow-men,

of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

of which I was made a herald and an apostle,?? speak the truth, I lie not,?? teacher of nations in faith and truth.

and in like manner also, that women in becoming apparel with modesty and sobriety adorn themselves, not with plaited hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly clothing,

but I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have authority over a man, but to be quiet.

And Adam was not deceived; but the woman being deceived fell into transgression;

not a wine-drinker, not a quarrelsome man, but gentle, not contentious, not avaricious,

ruling well his own house, having his children in subjection with all dignity,??5 but if any one knows not how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God???6 not a novice, lest being inflated with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

And he must also have a good name from those without, that he may not fall into reproach and a snare of the devil.

The deacons in like manner ought to be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not devoted to base gain,

The women in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, circumspect, faithful in all things.

Neglect not the gift which is in you, which was given you by prophecy, with the imposition of hands of the eldership.

Rebuke not an aged man, but entreat him as a father, the younger men as brothers,

But one that is a widow indeed and alone hopes in God, and continues in petitions and prayers night and day;

And if any one provides not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.

Let not a widow be enrolled under sixty years of age, a wife of one husband,

and at the same time also, being idle, they learn to go from house to house, and not only are they idle, they are also tattlers and mischief makers, saying what they ought not.

If any faithful man or faithful woman has widows, let them give them relief, and let not the church be burdened, that it may be able to relieve those really widows.

For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle the ox that threshes; and, The laborer is worthy of his reward.

Against an elder receive not an accusation, except by two or three witnesses.

Let as many servants as are under the yoke account their masters worthy of all honor, that the name and doctrine of God may not be blasphemed.

And let those who have believing masters not despise them, because they are brothers, but rather serve, because they are believers and beloved, who partake of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

If any one teaches differently, and consents not to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine which is according to piety,

Charge the rich in the present life not to be high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who gives us all things richly to enjoy,

I thank God, whom I serve from my ancestors with a pure conscience, that I mention you incessantly in my prayers night and day,

For God gave us not a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Be not ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but endure affliction with us in the gospel according to the power of God,

who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus from eternity,

for which cause I suffer these things; but I am not ashamed; for I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep my trust to that day.

May the Lord show mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chains,

And if a man contends as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he contends lawfully.

in which I suffer even to chains as an evil doer; but the word of God is not bound.

if we believe not he continues faithful; for he cannot deny himself.

Call to mind these things, charging [men] before the Lord not to debate about words, to no profit, to the subversion of the hearers.