Therefore, my dear brothers whom I long for, my joy and my victor's crown, this is how you must stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.

I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in.

based on the hope laid up for you in heaven. Some time ago you heard about this hope through the word of truth, the gospel

You learned about this gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of the Messiah on your behalf.

For this reason, since the day we heard about this, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of God's will with respect to all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints,

to whom God wanted to make known the glorious riches of this secret among the gentiles which is the Messiah in you, our glorious hope.

I work hard and struggle to do this, using the energy that he powerfully provides in me.

I say this so that no one will mislead you with nice-sounding rhetoric.

"Don't handle this! Don't taste or touch that!"

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

I am sending him to you for this very reason, so that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts.

When this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and be sure to read the one from Laodicea.

This greeting is written with my own signature "Paul." Remember that I remain imprisoned. May grace be with you! Amen.

and to wait for his Son whom he raised from the dead to come back from heaven. This Jesus is the one who rescues us from the coming wrath.

Furthermore, you must never take advantage of or exploit a brother in this regard, because the Lord avenges all these things, just as we already told you and warned you.

Therefore, whoever rejects this instruction is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

In fact, you are showing love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers, to keep on doing this even more.

In everything be thankful, because this is God's will for you in the Messiah Jesus.

I order you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

Brothers, at all times we are obligated to thank God for you. It is right to do this because your faith is growing all the time and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

This is evidence of God's righteous judgment and is intended to make you worthy of God's kingdom, for which you are suffering.

With this in mind, we always pray for you, asking that our God might make you worthy of his calling and that through his power he might help you accomplish every good desire and faithful action.

For the secret of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the person now holding it back gets out of the way.

For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.

With this purpose in mind, he called you through our proclamation of the gospel so that you would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

While we were with you, we gave this order: "If anyone doesn't want to work, he shouldn't eat."

If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of him. Have nothing to do with him so that he will feel ashamed.

I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine. It is the way I write.

The goal of this instruction is love that flows from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith.

This is a trustworthy saying that deserves complete acceptance: To this world Messiah came, sinful people to reclaim.

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

For this reason I was appointed to be an announcer, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the gentiles. (I am telling you the truth. I am not lying.)

but through good actions. This is proper for women who claim to revere God.

This is a trustworthy saying: The one who would an elder be, a noble task desires he.

I hope to come to you soon. However, I'm writing this to you

This is a trustworthy saying that deserves complete acceptance.

To this end we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, that is, of those who believe.

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents, for this is pleasing in God's sight.

At the same time, they also learn how to be lazy while going from house to house. Not only this, but they even become gossips and keep busy by interfering in other people's lives, saying things they should not say.

he is a conceited person and does not understand anything. He has an unhealthy craving for arguments and debates. This produces jealousy, rivalry, slander, evil suspicions,

Nothing to this world we bring; from it take we nothing.

Tell those who are rich in this age not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, let them place their confidence in God, who lavishly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future, so that they can keep their hold on the life that is real.

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first existed in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced that this faith also exists in you.

For this reason, I am reminding you to fan into flames the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands.

For the sake of this gospel I was appointed to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the gentiles.

Meditate on Jesus, the Messiah, who was raised from the dead and is a descendant of David. This is the gospel I tell others.

This saying is trustworthy: In dying with the Messiah, true life we gain.

However, God's solid foundation still stands. It has this inscription on it: "The Lord knows those who belong to him," and "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from evil."

to proclaim the message. Be ready to do this whether or not the time is convenient. Refute, warn, and encourage with the utmost patience when you teach.

because Demas, having fallen in love with this present world, has abandoned me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

That statement is true. For this reason, refute them sharply so that they may become healthy in the faith

This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have put their faith in God may devote themselves to good actions. These things are good and helpful to other people.

For you know that a person like this is corrupt and keeps on sinning, being self-condemned.

For this reason, although in the Messiah I have complete freedom to order you to do what is proper,

15Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you could have him back forever,

18If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Messiah!

19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. (I will not mention to you that you owe me your very life.)

20Yes, brother, I desire this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Messiah!

For this reason we must pay closer attention to the things we have heard, or we may drift away,

how will we escape if we neglect a salvation as great as this? It was first proclaimed by the Lord himself, and then it was confirmed to us by those who heard him,

and again in this passage, "They will never enter my rest."

No one takes this honor upon himself but he is called to it by God, just as Aaron was.

We have much to say about this, but it is difficult to explain because you have become too lazy to understand.

And this we will do, if God permits.

Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case, things that point to salvation.

Now this man Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, met Abraham and blessed him when he was returning from defeating the kings.

Just look at how great this man was! Even Abraham the patriarch himself gave him a tenth of what he had captured!

But this man, whose descent is not traced from them, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the man who had received the promises.

Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood for on this basis the people received the Law what further need would there be to speak of appointing another kind of priest according to the order of Melchizedek, not one according to the order of Aaron?

This point is even more obvious in that another priest who is like Melchizedek has appeared

Now none of this happened without an oath. Others became priests without any oath,

In this way, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

He has no need to offer sacrifices every day like high priests do, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he sacrificed himself.

Now the main point in what we are saying is this: we do have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, this high priest had to offer something, too.

They serve in a sanctuary that is a copy, a shadow of the heavenly one. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tent: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain."

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

For a tent was set up, and in the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the bread of the Presence. This was called the Holy Place.

When everything had been arranged like this, the priests always went into the first part of the tent to perform their duties.

The Holy Spirit was indicating by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first part of the tent was still standing.

This illustration for today indicates that the gifts and sacrifices being offered could not clear the conscience of a worshiper,

But when the Messiah came as a high priest of the good things that have come, he went through the greater and more perfect tent that was not made by human hands and that is not a part of this creation.

This is why the Messiah is the mediator of a new covenant; so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance promised them, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the offenses committed under the first covenant.

This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God ordained for you."

For this reason, the Scriptures say, when the Messiah was about to come into the world: "You did not want sacrifices and offerings, but you prepared a body for me.

Then I said, "See, I have come to do your will, O God' In the volume of the scroll this is written about me."

In this passage he says, "You never wanted or took delight in sacrifices, offerings, burnt offerings, and sin offerings," which are offered according to the Law.

But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of God."

The Holy Spirit also assures us of this, for he said:

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts and will write them on their minds,

At times you were made a public spectacle by means of insults and persecutions, while at other times you associated with people who were treated this way.

Abraham was as good as dead, yet from this one man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Abraham was certain that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did get Isaac back in this way.

By faith they went through the Red Sea as if it were dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do this, they were drowned.

Continue to follow and be submissive to your leaders, since they are watching over your souls as those who will have to give a word of explanation. By doing this, you will be letting them carry out their duties joyfully, and not with grief, for that would be harmful for you.

I especially ask you to do this so that I may be brought back to you sooner.

You must understand this, my dear brothers. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.