You know that from the Lord you will receive reward of the inheritance, for you are the Lord Christ's slaves.

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

Keep on praying for me, too, that God may open for me a door of utterance to speak the secret truth of Christ, for which I am a prisoner.

Pray that I may unfold it as I ought to speak.

Tychicus, my beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow slave in the Lord, will make known to you all that concerns me.

They will inform you of all that goes on here.

Epaphras, one of yourselves, salutes you, a slave of Christ who is always agonizing for you in his prayers, that you may stand firm, mature, and fully assured in all the will of God.

And when this letter has been read to you, see that it is read also in the church of Laodiceans, and that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

And tell Archippas to take heed to the ministry which he has received in the Lord, that he may fulfill it.

For I know, O brothers, beloved of God, that he has chosen you;

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.

For you yourselves know, brothers, that my visit to you did not fail of its purpose;

for you remember that although I had already borne ill-treatment and insult at Philippi, I took courage in my God to tell you the gospel of God, in the face of much opposition.

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

So that no one should be shaken by these troubles??or you know well that we are appointed to troubles.

For even when I was with you I used to tell you beforehand that I was to suffer affliction; and so it proved, as you know.

So, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that my labor had been in vain.

But now that Timothy has returned from you to me, and has brought good news of your faith and love, and that you are still holding me in affectionate remembrance, always longing to see me as I also am longing to see you.

Night and day I am praying earnestly that I may see you face to face, and may perfect whatever is yet lacking in your faith.

Finally then, my brothers, I continue to beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as you learned of me how to walk so as to please God??nd you are actually doing so??hat you abound in it yet more and more.

For this is God's will, even your sanctification; that you should abstain from sexual vice.

That each one should learn how to take a wife in purity and honor.

That no man overreach or take advantage of his brother in such matters, because "the Lord takes vengeance" in all these things, as also I repeatedly forewarned you and testified to you.

So that he who rejects this is not rejecting man, but the God who gave you his Holy Spirit.

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.

Also, that you endeavor to live quietly and to mind your own business, and to work with your hands (as I charged you).

So that your conduct may be seemly toward those that are without, and that you may not need help from any man.

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.

You yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that "the Day" should come upon you like a bandit.

He died for us, in order that whether we are keeping vigil in life or sleeping in death we may ever be living together with him.

Take care that none of you ever return evil for evil, but always pursue what is kind to one another and to all.

So that I myself am boasting about you among the churches of God, boasting of the stedfastness and faith which you are displaying in all the troubles and afflictions which you are enduring.

when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be wondered at in all believers, on that Day; (for you also believed our testimony).

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in him, according to the grace of our God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

the adversary, who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God, or is an object of worship; so that he takes his seat in the Temple of God, and vaunts himself as God.

Do you not recall that I often told you this, when I was with you?

And now you know what is holding him back, to the end that he may be revealed in his appointed time.

For this reason God is sending on them an energy of delusion, that they should put faith in a falsehood;

so that they all should be condemned, who are faithless to the truth, but take pleasure in evil.

For this he called you through my gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, brothers, pray on for me, that God's word may run swiftly, and be glorified as in your own case,

and that I may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for all do not hold the faith.

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

I did not eat my food as a gift from any man, but in toil and travail, night and day, I worked, so that I might not be a burden to any of you.

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

But I hear that there are those of your number who are leading idle and disorderly lives, who are not busy, but mere busybodies.

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;

I know well that "the Law is good" if a man use it lawfully;

but he must remember that the Law is not enacted for a good man, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the irreligious and sinful, for the godless and profane, for parricides and murderers,

And I am thankful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has thus enabled me, that he accounted me faithful, and appointed me to his service,

And the grace of our Lord overflowed with faith and love that is in Christ Jesus.

Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners"! And there is no greater sinner than I!

Yet for this very cause I obtained mercy, so that in me, the chief of sinners, Jesus Christ might display all his boundless patience as an illustration for those who should later believe in him, and so gain life eternal.

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

First of all then, I am urging that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered regularly for all men;

for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and peaceful life in all godliness an gravity.

whose will it is that all men should be saved, and come into full knowledge of the truth.

It was for this testimony that I myself was appointed a herald and apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), to be a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

My wish, then, is that in every place the men should offer prayer, lifting up holy hands, free from anger and disputation;

They should first be tested, and after that, if they are found irreproachable, let them serve as deacons.

Now the Spirit distinctly declares that in latter days there will be some who will fall away from the faith, by listening to spirits of error, and to teachings of demons

For everything that God has created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if only it is received with thankfulness.

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.

Let these things be your care, give yourself wholly to them, so that your progress may be manifest to all.

but if any widow has children or grandchildren, let these learn to show their piety first toward their own household, and to make some return to their parents, for that is pleasing in God's sight.

Keep admonishing them regarding these things, so that they may be irreproachable.

It is my wish, then, that the younger widows marry, bear children, rule their houses, and give no occasion to our adversary for railing.

Any believing woman, who has widowed relatives, ought to relieve them and not let the church be burdened with them; so that the church may relieve the really destitute widows.

Rebuke offenders publicly, so that others also may take warning.

I charge you solemnly in the presence of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the elect angels, that you observe these things without prejudice against any man, and do nothing out of partiality.

Let those who are under the yoke as slaves esteem their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teachings be not blasphemed.

and wrangling between men whose minds are corrupt and destitute of the truth; who suppose that godliness is a source of gain.

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

For in his own good time this will be brought about by that blessed and only potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone possesses immortality, who dwells in light that none can approach, whom no man has ever seen or can see; to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.

laying up right good treasure for themselves in the world to come, in order that they may obtain the Life which is life indeed.

Night and day when I recall your tears I am longing to see you, that my happiness may be complete.

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.

For this reason let me remind you to keep ever blazing that gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Of the gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher; and that is the reason I am now undergoing these sufferings.

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.

You already know that all the Christians in Roman Asia forsook me, among them Phygellus and Hermogenes.

The Lord grant him to find mercy form the Lord in that Day! And you know better than I how many services he rendered in Ephesus.

A soldier in active service avoids entangling himself in the every-day affairs of life, so that he may please his commander.

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, has been raised from the dead according to the gospel I proclaim.

But God's message is no prisoner. That is why I endure everything for the sake of the chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

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.

Ever shun foolish and puerile discussions, for you know that they lead to quarrels.

As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so also do these men withstand the truth; being corrupt in mind and worthless in all that concerns the faith.

But they will not get on; for their folly will be made as openly manifest to all as was that of Jannes and Jambres.

Every Scripture, seeing that it is God-breathed, is also profitable for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

so that the man of God may himself be complete, and completely equipped for every good work.

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.

Nevertheless the Lord Jesus stood by me, and strengthened my heart, that through me full proclamation of the gospel might be made, and the Gentiles might hear it; and I was rescued from the lion's jaws.

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

I left you in Crete for this reason, that you might set right the things left unfinished, and appoint presbyters in every city as I had instructed you;

He must hold to the faithful word according to the teaching, so that he may be able both to encourage by sound teaching, and to confute our opponents.