so that the lives you live may be worthy of your Master and wholly pleasing to him, and you may be fruitful in all kinds of good deeds, and may grow into fuller knowledge of God.

Then, so mighty is his majesty, he will nerve you perfectly with strength for the cheerful exercise of endurance and forbearance in every situation,

and you will thank the Father who has entitled you to share the lot of God's people in the realm of light.

through dying in his human body) in holiness, and free from reproach or blame, into God's presence??23 if at least you continue firm and steadfast in the exercise of faith, and never shift from the hope held out in the good news to which you listened, which has been preached all over the world, and for which I, Paul, became a worker.

At present I am glad to be suffering in your interest, and I am making up in my own person what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for the church, which is his body.

That is what I am working for, fighting with all the energy with which he so mightily endows me.

So just as you once accepted the Christ, Jesus, as your Lord, you must live in vital union with him.

For it is in him that all the fulness of God's nature lives embodied,

So no one can call you to account for what you eat or drink, or do about annual or monthly feasts or Sabbaths.

If, then, you have been raised to life with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are where Christ is, above, seated at God's right hand.

So treat as dead your physical nature, as far as immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed are concerned; for it is really idolatry.

It is on account of these things that God's anger is coming.

You must bear with one another and forgive one another, if anyone has reason to be offended with anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.

Let the ruling principle in your hearts be Christ's peace, for in becoming members of one body you have been called under its sway. And you must be thankful.

And whatever you have to say or do, do it all as followers of the Lord Jesus, and offer your thanksgiving to God the Father through him.

Our dear brother Tychicus, my faithful helper and fellow-servant in the Lord's work, will tell you all about me.

Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, wishes to be remembered to you, and so does Barnabas' cousin Mark. (About him you have had instructions; if he comes to see you, make him welcome.)

So also does Jesus who is called Justus. They are the only ones among the converts from Judaism who have worked with me for the reign of God who have proved a comfort to me.

Epaphras, one of your own number, a slave of Christ Jesus, wishes to be remembered to you. He is always standing up for you in his prayers that you may stand fast, like men of mature convictions, whatever God's will for you may be.

When this letter has been read to you, have it read to the church at Laodicea also, and see that you read the letter that is coming from there.

And tell Archippus, "See that you perform the Christian service you have been assigned."

For we know, brothers whom God so loves, that he has chosen you,

so that you set an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Greece.

For the Lord's message has rung out from you not only over Macedonia and Greece, but the story of your belief in God has gone everywhere, so that we never need to mention it.

and to wait for the coming from heaven of his Son, whom he raised from the dead??esus, our deliverer from God's coming wrath.

We had just been through ill-treatment and insults at Philippi, as you remember, but, in the face of great opposition, we took courage by the help of our God, and told you God's good news.

God has thought us fit to be intrusted with the good news, and so we tell it, making no effort to please men, but to please God, who tests our hearts.

We never sought praise from men, either from you or anyone else, though as Christ's apostles we might have stood on our dignity.

That was the kind of affection we had for you, which made us ready to share with you not only God's good news but our own lives too, because you were so dear to us.

We for our part constantly thank God for another reason too??ecause when you received God's message from our lips, you welcomed it not as the message of men but as the message of God, as it really is, which does its work in the hearts of you believers.

For you, brothers, followed the example of God's churches in Judea that are in union with Christ Jesus, for you in your turn had to bear the same ill-treatment from your neighbors as they did from the Jews,

try to keep us from speaking to the heathen so that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has overtaken them at last!

For our part, brothers, when we were separated from you for a little while??n person, though not in spirit??e were extremely eager and longed intensely to see you.

For we resolved to come to see you??, Paul, did so again and again??ut Satan held us back.

So when I could not bear it any longer, I made up my mind to stay behind alone at Athens,

But now that Timothy has just come back to me from you, and brought me good news of your faith and love, and told me how kindly you think of me and that you long to see me just as much as I long to see you,

as I pray night and day with intense earnestness that I may see your faces and supply what is lacking in your faith?

so that your hearts may be strong and faultlessly pure in the sight of our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus appears with all his saints!

Now, brothers, we ask and entreat you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, to live as you learned from us that you must live, to please God??s indeed you are doing, only do it more and more.

It is God's will that you should be consecrated, that you abstain from immorality,

So whoever disregards this is not disregarding man, but God, who gives you his holy Spirit.

so that you may have the respect of the outsiders, and not be dependent upon anybody.

For we can assure you, on the Lord's own authority, that those of us who will still be living when the Lord comes will have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep.

For the Lord himself, at the summons, when the archangel calls and God's trumpet sounds, will come down from heaven, and first those who died in union with Christ will rise;

then those of us who are still living will be caught up with them on clouds into the air to meet the Lord, and so we shall be with the Lord forever.

When people say, "What peace and security!" then suddenly destruction will be upon them, like birth-pains upon a woman about to give birth to a child, and there will be no escape.

But you are not in darkness, brothers, so that that Day should surprise you like thieves.

So we must not sleep like other men, but we must be vigilant and composed.

For those who sleep sleep at night and those who get drunk do so at night,

who died for us so that whether we are still alive or fall asleep we may live with him.

I charge you in the Lord's name to have this letter read to all the brothers.

We always have to thank God for you, brothers, as it is right that we should, because your faith is growing so wonderfully and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

This is a proof of God's justice in judging, and it is to prove you worthy of the Kingdom of God, for the sake of which you are suffering,

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him, by the blessing of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

the adversary of every being that is called a god or an object of worship, and so overbearing toward them as to enter God's sanctuary and take his seat there, proclaiming himself to be God??5 do you not remember that when I was with you, I used to tell you this?

So now you know what it is that is holding him back from making his appearance before the appointed time arrives.

The other's appearance, by the contrivance of Satan, will be full of power and pretended signs and wonders,

so that all who have refused to believe the truth but have preferred disobedience may be condemned.

We always have to thank God for you, brothers whom the Lord so loves, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved through consecration by the Spirit and through faith in the truth,

and called you to it through our preaching of the good news, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So stand firm, brothers, and hold fast to the instructions you have received from us, whether by letter or by word of mouth.

encourage you and strengthen you to do and say everything that is right.

Now, brothers, pray for us, that the Lord's message may spread rapidly and gloriously as it did among you,

May the Lord guide your hearts into a sense of God's love and into a steadfastness like Christ's.

I did not eat anybody's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor I worked night and day, in order not to be a burden to any of you.

This greeting is in my own hand, Paul's; it is the mark in every letter of mine. This is the way I write.

for emperors and all who are in authority, so that we may live tranquil, quiet lives, with perfect piety and probity.

so that if I am delayed, you may know how we are to conduct ourselves in the household of God, for it is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

Cultivate these things, devote yourself to them, so that everyone will see your progress.

Insist upon these points, so that people may be irreproachable.

and have a good reputation for Christian service, such as bringing up children, being hospitable to strangers, washing the feet of God's people, helping people in distress, or devoting herself to any form of doing good.

So I would have young women marry and have children and keep house and avoid giving our opponents any excuse for abusing us.

Any Christian woman who has widowed relatives should look after them, and relieve the church, so that it can look after widows who are really dependent.

Some men's sins are perfectly evident, and lead them right on to judgment, but there are others whose sins only dog their steps.

All who are under the yoke of slavery must treat their masters with the greatest respect, so that the name of God and our teaching may not be abused.

who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

storing up a valuable treasure for themselves for the future, so as to grasp the life that is life indeed.

Paul, by God's will an apostle of Christ Jesus in fulfilment of the promise of that life which is found in union with Christ Jesus,

When I remember the tears you shed I long night and day to see you again, and have the perfect happiness

So you must not be ashamed to testify to our Lord, nor be ashamed of me who am in prison for his sake, but join with me in suffering for the good news, through the power of God.

So you, my son, must find strength in the blessing that comes through Christ Jesus.

Anyone who is in the army keeps from being involved in business affairs, so as to please the officer who enlisted him.

Think over what I say. For the Lord will help you to understand it perfectly.

for the sake of which I even suffer imprisonment as a criminal. But God's message is not imprisoned!

For that reason I am ready to submit to anything for the sake of those whom God has chosen, so that they too may gain the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus and brings eternal glory.

Do your best to win God's approval as a workman who has nothing to be ashamed of, but rightly shapes the message of truth.

who have missed the truth and say that the resurrection has taken place already, thus undermining people's faith.

Yet God's solid foundation stands unshaken, bearing this inscription, "The Lord knows those who belong to him," and "Everyone who uses the name of the Lord must give up evil."

So if a man will cleanse himself from these things, he will be put to great uses, consecrated and used by the master of the house himself, and ready for any good use.

They are the kind of men who make their way into people's houses and make captives of poor, weak women, loaded down with their sins and under the control of all sorts of impulses,

so that the man of God will be adequate, and equipped for any good work.

But the Lord stood by me, and gave me strength, so that I might make a full presentation of the message and let all the heathen hear it. So I was saved from the jaws of the lion.

Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus wishes to be remembered to you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

For as God's overseer a superintendent must be irreproachable, not arrogant or quick-tempered or given to drink or pugnacious or addicted to dishonest gain,

standing by the message that can be relied on, just as he was taught it, so that he may be qualified both to encourage others with wholesome teaching and to show the error of those who oppose him.

so as to train the younger women to be loving wives and mothers,

and to be sensible, pure-minded, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so as not to bring reproach on God's message.

and present a wholesome, unobjectionable message, so that your opponent may be put to shame at finding nothing bad to say about us.

For God's mercy has appeared and brought salvation to all men,

so that we might be made upright through his mercy and become possessors of eternal life in fulfilment of our hope.