1 Admonish them to be subject to princes and to magistrates, to obey their orders, and to exert their virtue and loyalty upon all occasions. 2 to speak evil of no man. to avoid contention, to be moderate and entirely inoffensive to all men. 3 for even we ourselves were once inconsiderate, disobedient, deluded, addicted to variety of passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, the deserving objects of mutual hatred.
4 but when the kindness and love of God our saviour display'd itself to mankind, 5 he saved us not in consideration of any virtuous actions which we had done, but out of his meer mercy, by the baptism of regeneration, he form'd us anew, by the plentiful effusion of the holy spirit, 6 thro' Jesus Christ our saviour: 7 that being justified by his favour, we should have the inheritance of eternal life, according to our hopes.
8 This is a secure rule, and what I would have you constantly maintain, that they who have believed in God, should take care to be examples of virtue, for that is commendable and useful to mankind. 9 but avoid frivolous enquiries about genealogies, and vexatious disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 10 A man that is an heretick, after the first and second admonition, avoid: 11 it being plain that such a person is perverted, and knows in his own conscience that his tenets are false.
12 When I shall send you Artemas, or Tychicus, endeavour to meet me at Nicopolis: for I have determined to winter there. 13 dispatch Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos, and take care that nothing be wanting to their journey.
14 Let our brethren too learn some honest profession to supply their occasions, that they may not be destitute of an income. 15 All that are with me salute you. salute our christian friends. grace be with you all. AMEN.