if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,

that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain,

For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit;

but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.

For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men,

But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.

For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?

not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.

So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.

Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.

For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;

for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Do not quench the Spirit;

do not despise prophetic utterances.

dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?

and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you,

nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;

not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.

For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.

If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.

Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,

wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers

Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,

But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.

(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.

And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,

Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.

Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers,

Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man,

At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.

If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.

For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.

Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.

Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,

who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains;

Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.

for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.

Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,

But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.

namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.

For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,