You have heard how by direct revelation the secret truth was made known to me, as I have already briefly written you.

By reading what I have written, you can judge of my insight into that secret truth of Christ

In him we have this fearless confidence and boldness of access through our faith in him.

These being past feeling have given themselves over to sensuality, in order to practise every form of impurity with greedy zest.

But you have not so learned Christ,

if indeed you have listened to him, and in him been taught the truth as it is in Jesus.

You have learned to lay aside, with your former manner of living, the old self who was on his way to ruin, as he followed the desires which deceive;

Let him who stole steal no more, but let him work, and in honest industry toil with his hands, so that he may have something to give to the needy.

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you have been sealed for the day of redemption.

and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness, but rather expose them.

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may cheer your hearts.

It is but just that I should be thus mindful of you all, because I have you in my heart, and because in these fetters of mine and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel you are all my fellow partners in the privilege.

but am in a quandary between the two. I am perplexed. I have a strong desire to break camp and to be with Christ, which is far better;

Let each have an eye not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

And so, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, with reverence and self-distrust work out your own salvation;

holding out a message of life. Thus it will be my boast at the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, or toiled for nothing.

For I have no other like him with a genuine concern for your welfare,

Epaphroditus, my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, who is your messenger and minister to my needs, I have thought it necessary to send to you;

And indeed he was sick nigh unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also so that I should not have sorrow upon sorrow.

Therefore I have been the more eager to send him, in order that you may rejoice in seeing him again, and that I may have one sorrow less.

For we are the true circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and make our boast in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in outward rites,

although I myself might have confidence in outward rites. If any one else claims a right to trust in them, far more may I;

But what was once gain to me, that I have counted loss for Christ.

In very truth I count all things but loss compared to the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and esteem them but refuse that I may gain Christ,

I do not say that I have already won, or am already perfect, but I am passing on to lay hold on the prize for which also Christ has laid hold of me.

Brothers, I do not regard myself to have yet laid hold of it; but this one thing I do, forgetting what is behind me, but straining every nerve toward that which lies ahead,

if only we guide our steps by the standards we have already attained.

Brothers, be comrades in imitating me, and study those whose life and walk is according to the pattern I have set you.

Put in practise also what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me; and the God of peace shall be with you.

Not that I speak as if I were in want, for at least have learned how to be content, whatever happens.

I know how to live humbly, and I also know how to bear prosperity. In every place and under all circumstances I have been initiated into the secret of fulness and of hunger, of prosperity and of want.

Notwithstanding, you have acted nobly in making yourselves comrades in my trouble.

For this reason from the day I heard of it I have never ceased to pray for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will with every kind of wisdom and spiritual insight;

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.

for in him was the universe created, things in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; by him and for him all have been created;

For I would have you know how great a contest I am waging for you and the brethren in Laodicea, and for all who have never seen my face.

As then you have received Jesus Christ, your Lord, in him live your lives;

and in him you have your fulness, and he is the Lord of all the principalities and powers.

For these precepts, although they have a show of wisdom with their self-imposed devotions and fastings and bodily austerities, are of no real value against the indulgence of the carnal appetites.

for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Let the word of Christ have its home in you richly, in all wisdom. Teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ever singing with grace in your hearts unto God.

Masters, deal justly and fairly with your slaves, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

I have sent him with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, one of your own number, for this very purpose, to let you know how I am, and to cheer your hearts.

These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, belonging to the circumcision, who have been any comfort to me.

For the word of the Lord has been sounded forth from you, and its sound has been heard not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place where the tidings of your faith toward God have been spread abroad, so that I have no need to speak of it.

Now was I seeking glory from men, either yourselves or others, although I might have exercised authority as Christ's apostle.

For that reason I would fain have visited you??, Paul, again and again??ut Satan hindered me.

I have been comforted, my brothers, in regard to you, in spite of all my distress and affliction over your faith.

It is not needed that I should write to you about brotherly love; for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.

But I would not have you ignorant, brothers, about those who are falling asleep. You must not sorrow like other men, who have no hope.

For if we really believe that Jesus died and rose again, so even so will God through Jesus bring with him those also who have fallen asleep.

For this I tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are living, who survive unto the coming of the Lord, will in no wise precede those who have fallen asleep.

Now as to the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you.

I adjure you, in the name of the Lord, to have this letter read to all the brothers.

So, brothers, stand fast, and hold fast the teachings which you have been taught by me, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

Now we have fully fixed our faith on you in the Lord, that you are doing and will continue to do what we enjoin.

Not that I have no right to such support; it was simply to give you an example for you to imitate.

If any man does not give heed to what I have said in this letter, mark that man; do not associate with him, so as to make him feel ashamed;

Some have failed here, and have turned aside to empty argument.

keeping fast hold of faith and a good conscience; which certain individuals have cast aside, and so made shipwreck of their faith.

Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have given over to Satan, so that they may be taught not to blaspheme.

He should also have a good reputation among outsiders, lest he fall into reproach, and into a snare of the devil.

For those who have well discharged the duties of a deacon are gaining an honorable position for themselves, as well as much fearless confidence in the faith of Christ Jesus.

speaking lies in hypocrisy. These are men whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron,

who discourage marriage, and enjoin abstinence from foods which God created to be received with thankfulness, by those who believe, and have a clear knowledge of the truth.

As you lay all these things before the brothers, you will be a noble minister of Christ Jesus, nourishing yourself in the precepts of the faith and that noble teaching which you have followed.

But exclude from the list the younger widows; for where they have become wanton against Christ, they desire to marry,

and incur condemnation because they have broken their first troth.

For already some widows have gone astray after Satan.

Let the elders who fill their offices well, be held worthy of twofold honor; especially those who have the task of preaching and teaching.

for we have brought nothing into the world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out!

So if we have food and shelter, let us be content with that.

For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil; and in their eager desire to be rich some have been led astray form the faith, and have pierced themselves with many sorrows.

which some professing have erred from the faith. Grace be with you.

I have been reminded of that sincere faith which is in your heart; which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and, I am fully persuaded, dwells in you also.

But I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have fully believed, and I am thoroughly persuaded that he is able to keep what I have given him until the Day.

Hold fast the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

The teachings which you have heard from me, attested by many witnesses, deliver into the keeping of faithful men, who in their turn will be able to teach others also.

Faithful is the saying. "If we have died with him, we shall also live with him.

Among such are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have gone astray concerning the truth by declaring that the resurrection is already past; and they are undermining the faith of some.

But you, Timothy, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aims, my faith, patience, love, endurance,

But do you hold fast what you have learned and have held to be true. You know those from whom you have learned it,

and how from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

For a time will come when they will not listen to wholesome teaching, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will heap up for themselves teachers upon teachers to satisfy their own fancies.

I have fought in the glorious contest; I have run the race; I have kept the faith.

Henceforth there is laid up for me the garland of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.

Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.

but manifested in his own time; that word of his in proclaiming which I have been entrusted by command of God our Saviour.

This saying is trustworthy. On this I want you to firmly insist; that those who have faith in God must be careful to maintain honest occupations. Such counsels are good and profitable for men.

As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, join me in Nicopolis as quickly as you can, for I have arranged to winter there.

For I have great joy and comfort in your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed.

I beseech you for my son, Onesimus, whom I have begotten in these chains.

Perhaps for this reason you were separated from him for an hour, in order that you might have him back forever,

Come my brother, let me have joy in the Lord because of you! Refresh my heart in Christ!

Because I am thoroughly persuaded of your obedience, I have written you, knowing full well that you will do by me what I am asking.

For to what angel did God ever say, Thou art my son; this day have I become thy Father? and again, I will be a father to him, and he shall be to me a son?

For this reason we must pay the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, for fear we should drift away.

For this reason I was sore displeased with that generation, And said, "They are always wandering in their hearts; They have never learned my ways";

Let us be on our guard, then, though there is a promise still standing of being admitted to his rest, lest any one of you should be found to have come short of it.

We are actually entering into that rest, we who have believed, as God has said,??n my wrath I swore??They shall not enter into my Rest