And for this God highly exalted him, and graciously bestowed upon him the name which is above every name;

as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which comes through law, blameless.

and be found in him; not having my own righteousness of the Law, but that alone which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which comes from God, founded upon faith.

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,

who will change the fashion of the body of our abasement into the likeness of his glorious body by the energy with which he is able even to subject all things to himself.

and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Long ago you heard of this hope in the message which came to you of the truth of the gospel.

And just as it is spreading through the whole world, bearing fruit and increasing, so also is it among you, from the day in which you heard it, and came truly to know the grace of God,

And this he will do if, indeed, you continue in the faith, firmly founded and stedfast, and never moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, and which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, that gospel of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

that secret truth, which, although hidden from ages and generations of old, has now been made manifest to his saints.

To them God willed to make known among the Gentiles how glorious are the riches of that secret truth, which is "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

For that end I am ever toiling, wrestling with all that energy of his which is mightily at work within me.

May their hearts be comforted! May they be knit together in love! May they gain in all its riches the full assurance of their understanding! May they come to a perfect knowledge of the secret truth of God, which is Christ himself.

Take care lest any man drag you away captive by his philosophy which is a vain deceit, following the traditions of men and the world's crude notions, and not Christ.

instead of keeping connection with the Head from the whole body draws nourishment for all its needs by the joints which bind it; and is knit together, and grows with a divine growth.

If you died with Christ to the world's rudimentary notions, why, as if you still lived in the world, do you submit yourselves to dogmatisms found on teachings and doctrines of men??21 such as "Do not handle this," "You must not taste that," "Do not touch this"??22 all things which are intended to perish in the using?

If you then are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ abides, seated on the right hand of God.

So slay your baser inclinations. fornication, impurity, appetite, unnatural desires, and the greed which is idolatry.

and put on that new self which is continually made over according to the likeness of its Creator, into full understanding.

Over them all bind on love, which is the girdle of completeness.

Let the peace of Christ, to which also you were called in one body, rule in your hearts, and show yourselves thankful.

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.

Salute the brothers in Laodicea; Nympha also, and the church which meets at her house.

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

Paul and Silas and Timothy. To the church of the Thessalonians which is in God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be to you, and peace.

for my gospel did not come to you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. For you know also the manner in which I behaved myself among you for your sakes.

For this reason also I am giving continual thanks to God, because when you heard from me the spoken word of God, you received it not as the word of men, but as the word of God (which in truth it is), who himself is effectually at work in you believe.

For you, brothers, began to follow the example of the churches of God in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus; and you in your turn suffered at the hands of your fellow citizens persecutions like to those which they endured from the Jews??15 The men who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out??hey are displeasing to God, and are the enemies of all mankind.

For what is my hope, or joy? What is the victor's wreath in which I exult? What but your own selves in the presence of our Lord Jesus, at his coming!

For what thanksgiving can I render again to God in your behalf, in return for all the joy which you cause me in the presence of my God?

I ought always to thank God for you, brothers, as is fitting because of the abundant growth of your faith and of the overflowing love with which every one of you is filled toward one another.

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.

They are an evidence of the righteous judgment of God, who will count you worthy of his kingdom, in behalf of which you are even now suffering.

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

I summon you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who leads an idle and disorderly life, which is not according to the rule you received from me.

I, Paul, add this greeting in my own handwriting, which is my token in every letter. Thus I write??18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

nor to be paying attention to myths and interminable genealogies, which tend to promote discussions rather than a stewardship entrusted by God, a stewardship which is in faith.

as laid down in the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which has been entrusted to me.

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

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.

Never neglect the gift within you, which was given in fulfilment of prophecy at the time of the laying on of hands by the elders.

Those who desire to be rich fall into the snares of temptation and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Keep contending in the noble contest of the faith; seize hold on eternal life, to which you were called when you confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

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

O, Timothy, guard the treasure which is committed to you. Shun the profane babblings and contradictions of the falsely called "knowledge"

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

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, sent forth to proclaim the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus.

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.

He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not dealing with us according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

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

Guard the glorious trust which has been committed to you by the aid of the Holy Spirit who makes his home in us.

Do you then, my son, strengthen you heart in the grace 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.

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.

as well as the persecutions and sufferings which befell me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. You know all the persecutions I endured, and how the Lord delivered me out of them all!

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.

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.

To Titus, my true son in a common faith, from Paul, a slave of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and to the knowledge of the truth which goes with piety;

I write in hope of life eternal which God who never lies, promised before times eternal,

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

which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

to my sister Apphia, to my fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church which meets at Philemon's house. From Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy.

because I am hearing of your love and of the faith which you hold, not only toward the Lord Jesus Christ, but toward all the saints.

And I pray that your participation may become effectual, as you come to acknowledge every good thing which is in you to Christ.

To which of the angels has he ever said, Sit at my right hand, Till I make thy foes a footstool for thy feet?

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

Which having begun to be spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him;

It is not to angels that God subjected the age to be, of which we are speaking.

For both he who sanctifies and those whom he is sanctifying are all from One; for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying.

Though he was a son, yet learned he obedience through the things which he suffered;

On which principle God, wishing to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his purpose, mediated with an oath;

that by means of two immutable things??is promise and his oath??n which it is impossible for God to break faith, we refugees may have strong encouragement to grasp the hope set before us.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, secure and strong, and passing into the sanctuary which is beyond the veil;

He who is thus described belonged to another tribe, not one member of which has ever served at the altar.

For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe of which Moses said nothing concerning the priesthood.

(for the Law brought nothing to perfection); and there is the bringing in of a better hope by which we draw near to God;

For the Law appoints human beings to be high priests, men with all their weakness; but the word of the oath, which was later than the Law, appoints a Son, perfected forevermore.

a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

But Jesus has obtained a better ministry, by so much as he is also Mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted upon better promises.

Not according tot he covenant which I made with their forefathers, On the day when I took them by the hand to lead them forth out of the land of Egypt; For they did not continue in my covenant, And therefore I disregarded them," says the Lord.

"For this is the covenant which I will covenant with the house of Israel, After these days," says the Lord; "I will put my laws into their minds, And upon their hearts will I write them; And I will be their God, And they shall be my people;

For a tent was built, the outer one called the Holy Place, in which were the lamp and the table and the loaves of the Presence;

In it was the golden altar of incense, and also the Ark of the Covenant covered all over with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

but into the inner tent the high priest only goes alone, once a year, and that not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the ignorances of the people.

This is a parable, for the present time, according to which gifts and sacrifices are offered that are not able, as far as conscience is concerned, to perfect the worshiper;

saying, This is the blood of that testament which God commanded in regard to you.

For the Law, being only a shadow of the good things to come, and not their very substance, its priests cannot with the same sacrifice which year after year they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.

For while every priest stands, day after day, at his ministrations, and many times repeats the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins,

by the way which he dedicated for us, that new and living way, through the veil (that is, his flesh);

but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fiery indignation which is about to devour the adversaries.

How much surer, think you, will be the punishment of one who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has profaned that covenant blood with which he was sanctified, and has done despite to the spirit of grace?

But ever call to mind the former days, in which, after having been enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings;

By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice more acceptable than that of Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God giving the testimony by accepting his gifts; and through it he, although he is dead, still speaks.

By faith Noah, warned of God of things not yet seen, reverently gave heed, and built an ark for the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is of faith.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

For he continually looked for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

And if they had cherished the memory of that land from which they went out, they would have found an opportunity to return;