For the cravings of the lower nature are opposed to those of the Spirit, and the cravings of the Spirit are opposed to those of the lower nature; because these are antagonistic to each other, so that you cannot do everything to which you are inclined.

But as for me, God forbid that I should glory in anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, upon which the world is crucified to me, and I am crucified to the world.

to the praise of the splendour of His grace with which He has enriched us in the beloved One.

the grace which He, the possessor of all wisdom and understanding, lavished upon us,

for the government of the world when the times are ripe for it--the purpose which He has cherished in His own mind of restoring the whole creation to find its one Head in Christ; yes, things in Heaven and things on earth, to find their one Head in Him.

that Spirit being a pledge and foretaste of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption--the inheritance which He has purchased to be specially His for the extolling of His glory.

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which prevails among you, and of your love for all God's people,

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened so that you may know what is the hope which His call to you inspires, what the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in God's people,

God has put all things under His feet, and has appointed Him universal and supreme Head of the Church, which is His Body,

which were once habitual to you while you walked in the ways of this world and obeyed the Prince of the powers of the air, the spirits that are now at work in the hearts of the sons of disobedience--to you God has given Life.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the intense love which He bestowed on us,

For we are God's own handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He has pre-destined us to practise.

Therefore, do not forget that formerly you were Gentiles as to your bodily condition. You were called the Uncircumcision by those who style themselves the Circumcised--their circumcision being one which the knife has effected.

At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world.

You are a building which has been reared on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus Himself,

if, that is, you have heard of the work which God has graciously entrusted to me for your benefit,

which in earlier ages was not made known to the human race, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets through the Spirit--

I mean the truth that the Gentiles are joint heirs with us Jews, and that they form one body with us, and have the same interest as we have in the promise which has been made good in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

in which I have been appointed to serve, in virtue of the work which God, in the exercise of His power within me, has graciously entrusted to me.

and to show all men in a clear light what my stewardship is. It is the stewardship of the truth which from all the Ages lay concealed in the mind of God, the Creator of all things--

Such was the eternal purpose which He had formed in Christ Jesus our Lord,

with darkened understandings, having by reason of the ignorance which is deep-seated in them and the insensibility of their moral nature, no share in the Life which God gives.

But these are not the lessons which you have learned from Christ;

to put away, in regard to your former mode of life, your original evil nature which is doomed to perish as befits its misleading impulses,

with that new and better self which has been created to resemble God in the righteousness and holiness which come from the truth.

He who has been a thief must steal no more, but, instead of that, should work with his own hands in honest industry, so that he may have something of which he can give the needy a share.

for the things which are done by these people in secret it is disgraceful even to speak of.

Do not over-indulge in wine--a thing in which excess is so easy--

"Honour your father and your mother" --this is the first Commandment which has a promise added to it--

In conclusion, strengthen yourselves in the Lord and in the power which His supreme might imparts.

And besides all these take the great shield of faith, on which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the Wicked one;

and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

to spread which I am an ambassador in chains--so that when telling them I may speak out boldly as I ought.

being filled with these fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God.

But since to live means a longer stay on earth, that implies more labour for me--and not unsuccessful labour; and which I am to choose I cannot tell.

maintaining, as you do, the same kind of conflict that you once saw in me and which you still hear that I am engaged in.

Let the same disposition be in you which was in Christ Jesus.

It is in consequence of this that God has also so highly exalted Him, and has conferred on Him the Name which is supreme above every other,

as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church; as to the righteousness which comes through Law, blameless.

not having a righteousness of my own, derived from the Law, but that which arises from faith in Christ--the righteousness which comes from God through faith.

I long to know Christ and the power which is in His resurrection, and to share in His sufferings and die even as He died;

I do not say that I have already won the race or have already reached perfection. But I am pressing on, striving to lay hold of the prize for which also Christ has laid hold of me.

Brethren, I do not imagine that I have yet laid hold of it. But this one thing I do--forgetting everything which is past and stretching forward to what lies in front of me,

Brethren, vie with one another in imitating me, and carefully observe those who follow the example which we have set you.

who, in the exercise of the power which He has even to subject all things to Himself, will transform this body of our humiliation until it resembles His own glorious body.

And then the peace of God, which transcends all our powers of thought, will be a garrison to guard your hearts and minds in union with Christ Jesus.

The doctrines and the line of conduct which I taught you--both what you heard and what you saw in me-- hold fast to them; and God who gives peace will be with you.

I have enough of everything--and more than enough. My wants are fully satisfied now that I have received from the hands of Epaphroditus the generous gifts which you sent me--they are a fragrant odor, an acceptable sacrifice, truly pleasing to God.

because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you cherish towards all God's people,

and moreover he has informed us of your love, which is inspired by the Spirit.

And God purposed through Him to reconcile the universe to Himself, making peace through His blood, which was shed upon the Cross--to reconcile to Himself through Him, I say, things on earth and things in Heaven.

if, indeed, you are still firmly holding to faith as your foundation, without ever shifting from your hope that rests on the Good News that you have heard, which has been proclaimed in the whole creation under Heaven, and in which I Paul have been appointed to serve.

the truth which has been kept secret from all ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His people,

in order that their hearts may be cheered, they themselves being welded together in love and enjoying all the advantages of a reasonable certainty, till at last they attain the full knowledge of God's truth, which is Christ Himself.

having been buried with Him in your baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith produced within you by God who raised Him from among the dead.

The bond, with its requirements, which was in force against us and was hostile to us, He cancelled, and cleared it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross.

referring to things which are all intended to be used up and perish--in obedience to mere human injunctions and teachings?

and have clothed yourselves with the new self which is being remoulded into full knowledge so as to become like Him who created it.

And over all these put on love, which is the perfect bond of union;

and let the peace which Christ gives settle all questionings in your hearts, to which peace indeed you were called as belonging to His one Body; and be thankful.

And pray at the same time for us also, that God may open for us a door for preaching, for us to tell the truth concerning Christ for the sake of which I am even a prisoner.

Epaphras, who is one of yourselves, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, sends greetings to you, always wrestling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand firm--Christians of ripe character and of clear conviction as to everything which is God's will.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy: To the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be granted to you.

And you followed the pattern set you by us and by the Master, after you had received the Message amid severe persecution, and yet with the joy which the Holy Spirit gives,

And for this further reason we render unceasing thanks to God, that when you received God's Message from our lips, it was as no mere message from men that you embraced it, but as--what it really is--God's Message, which also does its work in the hearts of you who believe.

For you, brethren, followed the example of the Churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judaea; seeing that you endured the same ill-treatment at the hands of your countrymen, as they did at the hands of the Jews.

For what is our hope or joy, or the crown of which we boast? Is it not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His Coming?

For what thanksgiving on your behalf can we possibly offer to God in return for all the joy which fills our souls before our God for you,

Moreover, brethren, as you learnt from our lips the lives which you ought to live, and do live, so as to please God, we beg and exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live them more and more truly.

For you know the commands which we laid upon you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy: To the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

It so increases that we ourselves make honourable mention of you among the Churches of God because of your patience and faith amid all your persecutions and amid the afflictions which you are enduring.

For these are a plain token of God's righteous judgement, which has in view your being deemed worthy of admission to God's Kingdom, for the sake of which, indeed, you are sufferers.

when He comes on that day to be glorified in His people and to be wondered at among all who have believed, including you--because you believed the testimony which we brought for your acceptance.

So then, brethren, stand your ground, and hold fast to the teachings which you have received from us, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

But, by the authority of the Lord, we command you, brethren, to stand aloof from every brother whose life is disorderly and not in accordance with the teaching which all received from us.

I Paul add the greeting with my own hand, which is the credential in every letter of mine.

and the attention they bestow on mere fables and endless pedigrees, such as lead to controversy rather than to a true stewardship for God, which only exists where there is faith. And I make the same request now.

But the end sought to be secured by exhortation is the love which springs from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith.

They are ambitious to be teachers of the Law, although they do not understand either their own words or what the things are about which they make such confident assertions.

and is not in accordance with the Good News of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

and the grace of our Lord came to me in overflowing fulness, conferring faith on me and the love which is in Christ Jesus.

This is the charge which I entrust to you, my son Timothy, in accordance with the inspired instructions concerning you which were given me long ago, that being equipped with them as your armour you may be continually fighting the good fight,

holding fast to faith and a clear conscience, which some have cast aside and have made shipwreck of their faith.

and of which I have been appointed a herald and an Apostle (I am speaking the truth: it is not a fiction)

So then I would have the men everywhere pray, lifting to God holy hands which are unstained with anger or strife;

For those who have filled the deacon's office wisely and well, are already gaining for themselves an honourable standing, and are acquiring great freedom of speech in proclaiming the faith which rests on Christ Jesus.

forbidding people to marry, and insisting on abstinence from foods which God has created to be partaken of, with thankfulness, by those who believe and have a clear knowledge of the truth.

If you warn the brethren of these dangers you will be a good and faithful servant of Christ Jesus, inwardly feeding on the lessons of the faith and of the sound teaching of which you have been, and are, so close a follower.

Train yourself in godliness. Exercise for the body is not useless, but godliness is useful in every respect, possessing, as it does, the promise of Life now and of the Life which is soon coming.

Do not be careless about the gifts with which you are endowed, which were conferred on you through a divine revelation when the hands of the elders were placed upon you.

he is puffed up with pride and has no true knowledge, but is crazy over discussions and controversies about words which give rise to envy, quarrelling, revilings, ill-natured suspicions,

But people who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many unwise and pernicious ways which sink mankind in destruction and ruin.

Exert all your strength in the honourable struggle for the faith; lay hold of the Life of the Ages, to which you were called, when you made your noble profession of faith before many witnesses.

storing up for themselves that which shall be a solid foundation for the future, that they may lay hold of the Life which is life indeed.

of which some have spoken boastfully in connexion with the true faith, and have erred. Grace be with you all.

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, for proclaiming the promise of the Life which is in Christ Jesus:

For I recall the sincere faith which is in your heart--a faith which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and then in your mother Eunice, and, I am fully convinced, now dwells in you also.

For this reason let me remind you to rekindle God's gift which is yours through the laying on of my hands.

For the Spirit which God has given us is not a spirit of cowardice, but one of power and of love and of sound judgement.