Colossians Cross References - Moffatt

¹ Paul, by God's will an apostle of Christ Jesus, and brother Timotheus, ² to the consecrated and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: grace and peace to you from God our Father. ³ We always thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you, ⁴ since we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints, ⁵ due to the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. You heard of this hope originally in the message of the Truth, in that gospel ⁶ which has reached you as it spreads over all the world with fruit and increase. Such has been your life from the day you learned to know what God's grace really is. ⁷ You got that lesson from our beloved fellow-servant Epaphras, a minister of Christ who is faithful to your interests; ⁸ and it is he who has informed us of your love in the Spirit. ⁹ Hence, from the day we heard of it, we have never ceased to pray for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and insight, ¹⁰ so that you may lead a life that is worthy of the Lord and give him entire satisfaction. May you be fruitful and increase in the doing of all good, as you thus know God! ¹¹ May his glorious might nerve you with full power to endure and to be patient cheerfully, whatever comes, ¹² thanking the Father who has qualified us to share the lot of the saints in the Light, ¹³ rescuing us from the power of the Darkness and transferring us to the realm of his beloved Son! ¹⁴ In him we enjoy our redemption, that is, the forgiveness of sins. ¹⁵ He is the likeness of the unseen God, born first before all the creation — ¹⁶ for it was by him that all things were created both in heaven and on earth, both the seen and the unseen, including Thrones, angelic Lords, celestial Powers and Rulers; all things have been created by him and for him; ¹⁷ he is prior to all, and all coheres in him. ¹⁸ Also, he is the head of the Body, that is, of the church, in virtue of his primacy as the first to be born from the dead — that gives him pre-eminence over all. ¹⁹ For it was in him that the divine Fulness willed to settle without limit, ²⁰ and by him it willed to reconcile in his own person all on earth and in heaven alike, in a peace made by the blood of his cross. ²¹ Once you were estranged yourselves, your hearts hostile to him in evildoing; but now he has reconciled you by dying in his mortal body, ²² so as to set you consecrated and unblemished and irreproachable in his presence — ²³ that is, if you adhere to the foundations and stability of the faith, instead of moving away from the hope you have learned in the gospel, that gospel which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I Paul was made a minister. ²⁴ I am suffering now on your behalf, but I rejoice in that; I would make up the full sum of all that Christ has to suffer in my person on behalf of the church, his Body; ²⁵ for I am a minister of the church by the divine commission which has been granted me in your interests, to make a full presentation of God's message — ²⁶ of that open secret which, though concealed from ages and generations of old, has now been disclosed to the saints of God. ²⁷ It is His will that they should understand the glorious wealth which this secret holds for the Gentiles, in the fact of Christ's presence among you as your hope of glory. ²⁸ This is the Christ we proclaim; we train everyone and teach everyone the full scope of this knowledge, in order to set everyone before God mature in Christ; ²⁹ I labour for that end, striving for it with the divine energy which is a power within me.

⁷ But when he noticed a number of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who told you to flee from the coming Wrath?

¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in him is my delight."

¹¹ Blessed are you when men denounce you and persecute you and utter all manner of evil against you for my sake; ¹² rejoice and exult in it, for your reward is rich in heaven; that is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

⁴⁸ You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

¹⁹ Store up no treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust corrode, where thieves break in and steal: ²⁰ store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrode, where thieves do not break in and steal.

²⁴ Now, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts upon them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, for it was founded on rock.

²⁵ At that time Jesus spoke and said, "I praise thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding all this from the wise and learned and revealing it to the simpleminded; ²⁶ yes, Father, I praise thee that such was thy chosen purpose. ²⁷ All has been handed over to me by my Father: and no one knows the Son except the Father — nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

²⁹ Why, how can anyone enter the strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first of all binds the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. ³⁰ He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

¹¹ He replied, "Because it is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Realm of heaven, but it is not granted to these people.

⁵ He was still speaking when a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in him is my delight: listen to him."

²⁸ just as the Son of man has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

⁸ But you are not to be called 'rabbi,' for One is your teacher, and you are all brothers;

¹³ but he will be saved who holds out to the very end. ¹⁴ This gospel of the Reign shall be preached all over the wide world as a testimony to all the Gentiles, and then the end will come.

¹⁴ This gospel of the Reign shall be preached all over the wide world as a testimony to all the Gentiles, and then the end will come.

⁴⁵ Now where is the trusty and thoughtful servant, whom his lord and master has set over his household to assign them their supplies at the proper time?

²¹ His master said to him, 'Capital, you excellent and trusty servant! You have been trusty in charge of a small sum: I will put you in charge of a large sum. Come and share your master's feast.'

³⁴ Then shall the King say to those on his right, 'Come, you whom my Father has blessed, come into your inheritance in the realm prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

¹⁸ Then Jesus came forward to them and said, "Full authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth; ¹⁹ go and make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teach them to obey all the commands I have laid on you. And I will be with you all the time, to the very end of the world."

⁸ some other seed fell on good soil and bore a crop that sprang up and grew, yielding at the rate of thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

¹¹ and he said to them: "The open secret of the Realm of God is granted to you, but these outsiders get everything by way of parables,

²⁶ And he said, "It is with the Realm of God as when a man has sown seed on earth; ²⁷ he sleeps at night and rises by day, and the seed sprouts and shoots up — he knows not how. ²⁸ (For the earth bears crops by itself, the blade first, the ear of corn next, and then the grain full in the ear.) ²⁹ But whenever the crop is ready, he has the sickle put in at once, as harvest has come."

³⁴ So when Jesus disembarked he saw a large crowd, and out of pity for them, as they were like sheep without a shepherd, he proceeded to teach them at length.

¹⁵ And he said to them, "Go to all the world and preach the gospel to every creature:

⁷⁵ in holiness and uprightness all our days within his presence.

¹⁴ "Glory to God in high heaven, and peace on earth for men whom he favours!"

²⁰ When he saw their faith he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

⁴⁸ He is like a man engaged in building a house, who dug deep down and laid his foundation on the rock; when a flood came, the river dashed against that house but could not shake it, for it had been well built.

⁴⁷ Therefore I tell you, many as her sins are, they are forgiven, for her love is great; whereas he to whom little is forgiven has but little love." ⁴⁸ And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." ⁴⁹ His fellow guests began to say to themselves, "Who is this, to forgive even sins?" ⁵⁰ But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

¹⁰ so he said, "It is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Reign of God, but the others get it in parables, so that for all their seeing they may not see, and for all their hearing they may not understand.

¹³ Those 'on the rock' are people who on hearing the word welcome it with enthusiasm, but they have no root; they believe for a while and fall away in the hour of trial. ¹⁴ As for the seed that fell among thorns, that means people who hear but who go and get choked with worries and money and the pleasures of life, so that they never ripen. ¹⁵ As for the seed in the good soil, that means those who hear and hold fast the word in a good and sound heart and so bear fruit stedfastly.

²¹ He thrilled with joy at that hour in the holy Spirit, saying, "I praise thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for concealing this from the wise and learned and revealing it to the simple-minded; yes, Father, I praise thee that such was thy chosen purpose." Then turning to the disciples he said,

³³ Sell what you possess and give it away in alms, make purses for yourselves that never wear out: get treasure in heaven that never fails, that no thief can get at, no moth destroy.

²⁴ "Strive to get in through the narrow door, for I tell you many will try to get in and not be able,

²¹ no one will say, 'Here it is' or 'There it is,' for the Reign of God is now in your midst."

¹⁵ for I will give you words and wisdom that not one of your opponents will be able to meet or refute.

³² but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And you in turn must be a strength to your brothers."

⁵³ Day after day I was beside you in the temple, and you never stretched a hand against me. But this is your hour, and the dark Power has its way."

¹ THE Logos existed in the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine.

¹ THE Logos existed in the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine. ² He was with God in the very beginning: ³ through him all existence came into being, no existence came into being apart from him.

³ through him all existence came into being, no existence came into being apart from him.

¹⁴ So the Logos became flesh and tarried among us; we have seen his glory — glory such as an only son enjoys from his father — seen it to be full of grace and reality.

¹⁶ For we have all been receiving grace after grace from his fulness;

¹⁸ Nobody has ever seen God, but God has been unfolded by the divine One, the only Son, who lies upon the Father's breast.

²⁷ and I am not fit to untie the string of his sandal."

¹⁶ For God loved the world so dearly that he gave up his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life, instead of perishing.

²⁹ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens to him, is heartily glad at the sound of the bridegroom's voice. Such is my joy, and it is complete. ³⁰ He must wax, I must wane." ³¹ He who comes from above is far above all others; he who springs from earth belongs to earth and speaks of earth; he who comes from heaven [is far above all others.

³⁴ For he whom God has sent utters the words of God — God gives him the Spirit in no sparing measure;

³⁴ For he whom God has sent utters the words of God — God gives him the Spirit in no sparing measure; ³⁵ the Father loves the Son and has given him control over everything.

³⁵ the Father loves the Son and has given him control over everything.

²³ But the time is coming, it has come already, when the real worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in reality; for these are the worshippers that the Father wants.

¹⁷ The reply of Jesus was, "As my Father has continued working to this hour, so I work too." ¹⁸ But this only made the Jews more eager to kill him, because he not merely broke the sabbath but actually spoke of God as his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.

²⁴ Truly, truly I tell you, he who listens to my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life; he will incur no sentence of judgment, he has already passed from death across to life.

⁵⁶ He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains within me, as I remain within him.

¹⁷ anyone who chooses to do his will, shall understand whether my teaching comes from God or whether I am talking on my own authority.

³⁰ As he said this, a number believed in him. ³¹ So Jesus addressed the Jews who had believed him, saying, "If you abide by what I say, you are really disciples of mine: ³² you will understand the truth, and the truth will set you free."

⁵⁸ "Truly, truly I tell you," said Jesus, "I have existed before Abraham was born."

²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am myself resurrection and life: he who believes in me will live, even if he dies, ²⁶ and no one who lives and believes in me will ever die. You believe that?"

³¹ Now is this world to be judged; now the Prince of this world will be expelled. ³² But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

⁶ Jesus said to him, "I am the real and living way: no one comes to the Father except by means of me.

⁹ Jesus said to him, "Philip, have I been with you all this time, and yet you do not understand me? He who has seen me has seen the Father. What do you mean by saying, 'Let us see the Father'?

¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth: the world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him, but you know him, because he remains with you and will be within you.

²⁰ You will understand, on that day, that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.

²³ Jesus answered, "If anyone loves me he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up our abode with him.

² he cuts away any branch on me which is not bearing fruit, and cleans every branch which does bear fruit, to make it bear richer fruit. ³ You are already clean, by the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I remain in you: just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, without remaining on the vine, neither can you, unless you remain in me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, as I in him, bears rich fruit (because apart from me you can do nothing). ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers up; then the branches are gathered and thrown into the fire to be burned.

⁸ As you bear rich fruit and prove yourselves my disciples, my Father is glorified. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain within my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands you will remain within my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain within his love.

¹⁶ You have not chosen me, it is I who have chosen you, appointing you to go and bear fruit — fruit that lasts, so that the Father may grant you whatever you ask in my name.

²⁴ They would not be guilty, if I had not done deeds among them such as no one has ever done; but, as it is, they have seen — and they have hated — both me and my Father.

³ And this is eternal life, that they know thee, the only real God, and him whom thou hast sent, even Jesus Christ.

⁵ now, Father, glorify me in thy presence with the glory which I enjoyed in thy presence before the world began.

²² Yea, I have given them the glory thou gavest me, that they may be one as we are one — ²³ I in them and thou in me — that they may be made perfectly one, so that the world may recognize that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. ²⁴ Father, it is my will that these, thy gift to me, may be beside me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me, because thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

²⁶ so have I declared, so will I declare, thy Name to them, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."

¹⁷ Jesus said, "Cease clinging to me. I have not ascended yet to the Father, but go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and yours, to my God and yours.'"

⁸ You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses at Jerusalem, throughout all Judaea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

¹⁷ Judas did enter our number, he did get his allotted share of this our ministry.

²⁵ to fill the place in this apostolic ministry which Judas left in order to go to his own place."

⁵ Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.

³⁸ "Repent," said Peter, "let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; then you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.

²⁰ and that the Lord may send Jesus your long-decreed Christ,

¹² There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation."

⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name; ⁴² not for a single day did they cease to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple and at home.

⁵ Philip travelled down to a town in Samaria, where he preached Christ to the people.

³⁵ Then Philip opened his lips, and starting from this scripture preached the gospel of Jesus to him.

²⁰ He lost no time in preaching throughout the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God —

³⁰ "Three days ago," said Cornelius, "at this very hour I was praying in my house at three o'clock in the afternoon, when a man stood before me in shining dress,

³⁶ You know the message he sent to the sons of Israel when he preached the gospel of peace by Jesus Christ (who is Lord of all);

⁴³ All the prophets testify that everyone who believes in him is to receive remission of sins through his Name."

¹⁸ On hearing this they desisted and glorified God, saying, "So God has actually allowed the Gentiles to repent and live!"

²⁰ Some of them, however, were Cypriotes and Cyrenians, who on reaching Antioch told the Greeks also the gospel of the Lord Jesus;

²³ When he came and saw the grace of God he rejoiced, and encouraged them all to hold by the Lord with heartfelt purpose

⁵ So Peter was closely guarded in prison, while earnest prayer for him was offered to God by the church.

²⁴ The word of God spread and multiplied.

²⁶ Brothers, sons of Abraham's race and all among you who reverence God, the message of this salvation has been sent to us.

³⁸ So you must understand, my brothers, that remission of sins is proclaimed to you through him,

³⁸ So you must understand, my brothers, that remission of sins is proclaimed to you through him, ³⁹ and that by him everyone who believes is absolved from all that the law of Moses never could absolve you from.

²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to hold by the faith, and telling them that "we have to get into the Realm of God through many a trouble."

¹⁴ Among the listeners there was a woman called Lydia, a dealer in purple who belonged to the town of Thyatira. She reverenced God, and the Lord opened her heart to attend to what Paul said.

³ explaining and quoting passages to prove that the messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, and that "the Jesus I proclaim to you is the messiah."

¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also came across him. Some said, "Whatever does the fellow mean with his scraps of learning'?" Others said, "He looks like a herald of foreign deities" (this was because he preached 'Jesus' and 'the Resurrection').

²⁸ for it is in him that we live and move and exist — as some of your own poets have said, 'We too belong to His race.'

²⁴ But then, I set no value on my own life as compared with the joy of finishing my course and fulfilling the commission I received from the Lord Jesus to attest the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁷ I never shrank from letting you know the entire purpose of God. ²⁸ Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you guardians; shepherd the church of the Lord which he has purchased with his own blood.

²⁸ Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you guardians; shepherd the church of the Lord which he has purchased with his own blood.

³¹ So be on the alert, remember how for three whole years I never ceased night and day to watch over each one of you with tears. ³² And now I entrust you to God and the word of his grace; he is able to upbuild you and give you your inheritance among all the consecrated.

⁶ Then, finding half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisees, Paul shouted to them, "I am a Pharisee, brothers, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection from the dead that I am on trial!"

¹⁵ and I cherish the same hope in God as they accept, namely that there is to be a resurrection of the just and the unjust.

⁶ To-day I am standing my trial for hoping in the promise made by God to our fathers, ⁷ a promise which our twelve tribes hope to gain by serving God earnestly both night and day. And I am actually impeached by Jews for this hope, O king!

¹⁶ Now get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you to my service as a witness to what you have seen and to the visions you shall have of me.

¹⁸ that their eyes may be opened and that they may turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, to get remission of their sins and an inheritance among those who are consecrated by faith in me.'

²³ that the Christ is capable of suffering, and that he should be the first to rise from the dead and bring the message of light to the People and to the Gentiles?"

¹ PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God

⁷ to all in Rome who are beloved by God, called to be saints, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸ First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because the report of your faith is over all the world.

⁸ First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because the report of your faith is over all the world. ⁹ God is my witness, the God whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I always mention you in my prayers,

⁹ God is my witness, the God whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I always mention you in my prayers, ¹⁰ asking if I may at last be sped upon my way to you by God's will.

¹³ Brothers, I would like you to understand that I have often purposed to come to you (though up till now I have been prevented) so as to have some results among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

³⁰ defamers, loathed by God, outrageous, haughty, boastful, inventive in evil, disobedient to parents,

⁷ eternal life to those who by patiently doing good aim at glory, honour, and immortality,

²⁴ but they are justified for nothing by his grace through the ransom provided in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as the means of propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to demonstrate the justice of God in view of the fact that sins previously committed during the time of God's forbearance had been passed over;

⁶ Just as David himself describes the bliss of the man who has righteousness counted to him by God apart from what he does — ⁷ Blessed are they whose breaches of the Law are forgiven, whose sins are covered! ⁸ Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not count to him.

¹² as well as a father of those circumcised persons who not only share circumcision but walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had as an uncircumcised man.

¹ As we are justified by faith, then, let us enjoy the peace we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have got access to this grace where we have our standing, and triumph in the hope of God's glory. ³ Not only so, but we triumph even in our troubles, knowing that trouble produces endurance,

³ Not only so, but we triumph even in our troubles, knowing that trouble produces endurance, ⁴ endurance produces character, and character produces hope — ⁵ a hope which never disappoints us, since God's love floods our hearts through the holy Spirit which has been given to us.

⁵ a hope which never disappoints us, since God's love floods our hearts through the holy Spirit which has been given to us.

⁹ Much more then, now that we are justified by his blood, shall we be saved by him from Wrath. ¹⁰ If we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son when we were enemies, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

⁴ Our baptism in his death made us share his burial, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live and move in the new sphere of Life.

¹⁷ Thank God, though you did serve sin, you have rendered whole-hearted obedience to what you were taught under the rule of faith; ¹⁸ set free from sin, you have passed into the service of righteousness. ¹⁹ (I use this human analogy to bring the truth home to your weak nature.) As you once dedicated your members to the service of vice and lawlessness, so now dedicate them to the service of righteousness that means consecration. ²⁰ When you served sin, you were free of righteousness. ²¹ Well, what did you gain then by it all? Nothing but what you are now ashamed of! The end of all that is death; ²² but now that you are set free from sin, now that you have passed into the service of God, your gain is consecration, and the end of that is life eternal.

⁴ It is the same in your case, my brothers. The crucified body of Christ made you dead to the Law, so that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead that we might be fruitful to God.

⁷ For the interests of the flesh are hostile to God; they do not yield to the law of God (indeed they cannot). ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot satisfy God.

¹⁰ On the other hand, if Christ is within you, though the body is a dead thing owing to Adam's sin, the spirit is living as the result of righteousness.

¹⁷ and if children, heirs as well, heirs of God, heirs along with Christ — for we share his sufferings in order to share his glory. ¹⁸ Present suffering, I hold, is a mere nothing compared to the glory that we are to have revealed. ¹⁹ Even the creation waits with eager longing for the sons of God to be revealed.

²⁹ For he decreed of old that those whom he predestined should share the likeness of his Son — that he might be the firstborn of a great brotherhood.

²⁹ For he decreed of old that those whom he predestined should share the likeness of his Son — that he might be the firstborn of a great brotherhood. ³⁰ Then he calls those whom he has thus decreed; then he justifies those whom he has called; then he glorifies those whom he has justified.

³⁸ For I am certain neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future,

²³ What if he means to show the wealth that lies in his glory for the objects of his mercy, whom he has made ready beforehand to receive glory —

⁸ No, what it does say is this: — The word is close to you, in your very mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach).

¹⁷ (You see, faith must come from what is heard, and what is heard comes from word of Christ.) ¹⁸ But, I ask, "Have they never heard?" Indeed they have. Their voice carried over all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

¹⁸ But, I ask, "Have they never heard?" Indeed they have. Their voice carried over all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

¹⁷ Supposing some of the branches have been broken off, while you have been grafted in like a shoot of wild olive to share the rich growth of the olive-stem,

³³ What a fathomless wealth lies in the wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable his judgments! How mysterious his methods!

³⁶ All comes from him, all lives by him, all ends in him. Glory to him for ever, Amen!

² Instead of being moulded to this world, have your mind renewed, and so be transformed in nature, able to make out what the will of God is, namely, what is good and acceptable to him and perfect.

¹⁷ The Reign of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, it means righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit;

¹⁵ Still, by way of refreshing your memory, I have written you with a certain freedom, in virtue of my divine commission ¹⁶ as a priest of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the service of God's gospel. My aim is to make the Gentiles an acceptable offering, consecrated by the holy Spirit.

¹⁶ as a priest of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the service of God's gospel. My aim is to make the Gentiles an acceptable offering, consecrated by the holy Spirit. ¹⁷ Now in Christ Jesus I can be proud of my work for God. ¹⁸ I will not make free to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished by me in the way of securing the obedience of the Gentiles, by my words and by my deeds, ¹⁹ by the force of miracles and marvels, by the power of the Spirit of God. Thus from Jerusalem right round to Illyricum, I have been able to complete the preaching of the gospel of Christ —

¹⁹ by the force of miracles and marvels, by the power of the Spirit of God. Thus from Jerusalem right round to Illyricum, I have been able to complete the preaching of the gospel of Christ — ²⁰ my ambition always being to preach it only in places where there had been no mention of Christ's name, that I might not build on foundations laid by others,

²⁷ Such was their decision; and yet this is a debt they owe to these people, for if the Gentiles have shared their spiritual blessings, they owe them a debt of aid in material blessings. ²⁸ Well, once I finish this business by putting the proceeds of the collection safely in their hands, I will start for Spain and take you on the way.

³⁰ Brothers, I beg of you, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit inspires, rally round me by praying to God for me;

²⁵ [Now to Him who can strengthen you by my gospel, by the preaching of Jesus Christ, by revealing the secret purpose which after the silence of long ages

²⁵ [Now to Him who can strengthen you by my gospel, by the preaching of Jesus Christ, by revealing the secret purpose which after the silence of long ages ²⁶ has now been disclosed and made known on the basis of the prophetic scriptures (by command of the eternal God) to all the Gentiles for their obedience to the faith —

²⁶ has now been disclosed and made known on the basis of the prophetic scriptures (by command of the eternal God) to all the Gentiles for their obedience to the faith —

¹ PAUL, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, with brother Sosthenes, ² to the church of God at Corinth, to those who are consecrated in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, as well as to all who, wherever they may be, invoke the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord no less than ours:

⁴ I always thank my God for the grace of God that has been bestowed on you in Christ Jesus; ⁵ in him you have received a wealth of all blessing, full power to speak of your faith and full insight into its meaning,

²³ but our message is Christ the crucified — a stumbling-block to the Jews, 'sheer folly' to the Gentiles,

³⁰ This is the God to whom you owe your being in Christ Jesus, whom God has made our 'Wisdom,' that is, our righteousness and consecration and redemption;

⁶ We do discuss 'wisdom' with those who are mature; only it is not the wisdom of this world or of the dethroned Powers who rule this world, ⁷ it is the mysterious Wisdom of God that we discuss, that hidden wisdom which God decreed from all eternity for our glory.

¹² Now we have received the Spirit — not the spirit of the world but the Spirit that comes from God, that we may understand what God bestows upon us. ¹³ And this is what we discuss, using language taught by no human wisdom but by the Spirit. We interpret what is spiritual in spiritual language. ¹⁴ The unspiritual man rejects these truths of the Spirit of God; to him they are 'sheer folly,' he cannot understand them. And the reason is, that they must be read with the spiritual eye. ¹⁵ The spiritual man, again, can read the meaning of everything; and yet no one can read what he is.

⁵ Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? They are simply used by God to give you faith, each as the Lord assigns his task.

¹⁶ Do you not know you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells within you?

¹ This is how you are to look upon us, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's secret truths. ² Now in this matter of stewards your first requirement is that they must be trustworthy.

² Now in this matter of stewards your first requirement is that they must be trustworthy. ³ It matters very little to me that you or any human court should cross-question me on this point. I do not even cross-question myself;

¹⁴ I do not write this to make you feel ashamed, but to instruct you as beloved children of mine.

¹⁷ To ensure this, I am sending you Timotheus, my beloved and trustworthy son in the Lord; he will remind you of those methods in Christ Jesus which I teach everywhere in every church.

⁹ What! do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Realm of God? Make no mistake about it; neither the immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor catamites nor sodomites ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the lustful nor the drunken nor the abusive nor robbers will inherit the Realm of God. ¹¹ Some of you were once like that; but you washed yourselves clean, you were consecrated, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

²⁵ I have no orders from the Lord for unmarried women, but I will give you the opinion of one whom you can trust, after all the Lord's mercy to him.

⁶ but for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all comes, and for whom we exist; one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom all exists, and by whom we exist.)

¹⁷ I get a reward if I do it of my own accord, whereas to do it otherwise is no more than for a steward to discharge his trust.

²³ And I do it all for the sake of the gospel, to secure my own share in it.

²⁵ Every athlete practises self-restraint all round; but while they do it to win a fading wreath, we do it for an unfading. ²⁶ Well, I run without swerving; I do not plant my blows upon the empty air — ²⁷ no, I maul and master my body, in case, after preaching to other people, I am disqualified myself.

³ But I would like you to understand this: Christ is the head of every man, man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ.

⁶ varieties of effects, but the same God who effects everything in everyone.

⁸ One man is granted words of wisdom by the Spirit, another words of knowledge by the same Spirit;

¹¹ But all these effects are produced by one and the same Spirit, apportioning them severally to each individual as he pleases.

¹³ Thus 'faith and hope and love last on, these three,' but the greatest of all is love.

¹⁰ But by God's grace I am what I am. The grace he showed me did not go for nothing; no, I have done far more work than all of them — though it was not I but God's grace at my side.

¹⁰ But by God's grace I am what I am. The grace he showed me did not go for nothing; no, I have done far more work than all of them — though it was not I but God's grace at my side. ¹¹ At any rate, whether I or they have done most, such is what we preach, such is what you believed. ¹² Now if we preach that Christ rose from the dead, how can certain individuals among you assert that 'there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead'?

¹⁹ Ah, if in this life we have nothing but a mere hope in Christ, we are of all men to be pitied most! ²⁰ But it is not so! Christ did rise from the dead, he was the first to be reaped of those who sleep in death. ²¹ For since death came by man, by man came also resurrection from the dead; ²² as all die in Adam, so shall all be made alive in Christ. ²³ But each in his own division: — Christ the first to be reaped; after that, all who belong to Christ, at his arrival.

²³ But each in his own division: — Christ the first to be reaped; after that, all who belong to Christ, at his arrival. ²⁴ Then comes the end, when he hands over his royal power to God the Father, after putting down all other rulers, all other authorities and powers. ²⁵ For he must reign until all his foes are put under his feet.

²⁵ For he must reign until all his foes are put under his feet.

⁵⁸ Well then, my beloved brothers, hold your ground, immovable; abound in work for the Lord at all times, for you may be sure that in the Lord your labour is never thrown away.

¹ PAUL an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and brother Timotheus, to the church of God at Corinth as well as to all the saints throughout the whole of Achaia:

⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ are abundant in my case, so my comfort is also abundant through Christ. ⁶ If I am in distress, it is in the interests of your comfort and salvation; if I am comforted, it is in the interests of your comfort, which is effective as it nerves you to endure the same sufferings as I suffer myself. ⁷ Hence my hope for you is well-founded, since I know that as you share the sufferings you share the comfort also. ⁸ Now I would like you to know about the distress which befell me in Asia, brothers. I was crushed, crushed far more than I could stand, so much so that I despaired even of life;

¹⁴ Wherever I go, thank God, he makes my life a constant pageant of triumph in Christ, diffusing the perfume of his knowledge everywhere by me.

⁶ and he has further qualified me to be the minister of a new covenant — a covenant not of written law but of spirit; for the written law kills but the Spirit makes alive.

¹ Hence, as I hold this ministry by God's mercy to me, I never lose heart in it;

⁴ there the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to prevent them seeing the light thrown by the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God. ⁵ (It is Christ Jesus as Lord, not myself, that I proclaim; I am simply a servant of yours for Jesus' sake.) ⁶ For God who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," has shone within my heart to illuminate men with the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Christ. ⁷ But I possess this treasure in a frail vessel of earth, to show that the transcending power belongs to God, not to myself; ⁸ on every side I am harried but not hemmed in, perplexed but not despairing, ⁹ persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed — ¹⁰ wherever I go, I am being killed in the body as Jesus was, so that the life of Jesus may come out in my body: ¹¹ every day of my life I am being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may come out within my mortal flesh. ¹² In me then death is active, in you life.

¹⁷ The slight trouble of the passing hour results in a solid glory past all comparison,

⁵ I am prepared for this change by God, who has given me the Spirit as its pledge and instalment.

⁹ Hence also I am eager to satisfy him, whether in the body or away from it;

¹⁸ It is all the doing of the God who has reconciled me to himself through Christ and has permitted me to be a minister of his reconciliation.

¹⁸ It is all the doing of the God who has reconciled me to himself through Christ and has permitted me to be a minister of his reconciliation. ¹⁹ For in Christ God reconciled the world to himself instead of counting men's trespasses against them; and he entrusted me with the message of his reconciliation.

¹⁹ For in Christ God reconciled the world to himself instead of counting men's trespasses against them; and he entrusted me with the message of his reconciliation.

¹⁹ For in Christ God reconciled the world to himself instead of counting men's trespasses against them; and he entrusted me with the message of his reconciliation. ²⁰ So I am an envoy for Christ, God appealing by me, as it were — be reconciled to God, I entreat you on behalf of Christ.

²⁰ So I am an envoy for Christ, God appealing by me, as it were — be reconciled to God, I entreat you on behalf of Christ. ²¹ For our sakes He made him to be sin who himself knew nothing of sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

¹ I appeal to you too, as a worker with God, do not receive the grace of God in vain.

⁴ I prove myself at all points a true minister of God, by great endurance, by suffering, by troubles, by calamities, ⁵ by lashes, by imprisonment; mobbed, toiling, sleepless, starving;

⁵ by lashes, by imprisonment; mobbed, toiling, sleepless, starving; ⁶ with innocence, insight, patience, kindness, the holy Spirit, unaffected love, ⁷ true words, the power of God; with the weapons of integrity for attack or for defence,

¹⁶ What compact can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God — as God has said, I will dwell and move among them, I will be their God and they shall be my people. ¹⁷ Therefore come away from them, separate, saith the Lord, touch not what is unclean; then I will receive you, ¹⁸ I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord almighty.

⁴ I have absolute confidence in you, I am indeed proud of you, you are a perfect comfort to me, I am overflowing with delight, for all the trouble I have to bear.

⁷ Yes, and by more than his arrival, by the comfort which you had been to him; for he gave me such a report of how you longed for me, how sorry you were, and how eagerly you took my part, that it added to my delight.

⁸ God is able to bless you with ample means, so that you may always have quite enough for any emergency of your own and ample besides for any kind act to others;

¹⁴ I am not overstepping the limit, as if you lay beyond my sphere; I was the very first to reach you with the gospel of Christ.

² for I feel a divine jealousy on your behalf; I betrothed you as a chaste maiden to present you to your one husband Christ,

²³ Ministers of Christ? yes perhaps, but not as much as I am (I am mad to talk like this!), with all my labours, with all my lashes, with all my time in prison — a record longer far than theirs. I have been often at the point of death;

²³ Ministers of Christ? yes perhaps, but not as much as I am (I am mad to talk like this!), with all my labours, with all my lashes, with all my time in prison — a record longer far than theirs. I have been often at the point of death; ²⁴ five times have I got forty lashes (all but one) from the Jews, ²⁵ three times I have been beaten by the Romans, once pelted with stones, three times shipwrecked, adrift at sea for a whole night and day; ²⁶ I have been often on my travels, I have been in danger from rivers and robbers, in danger from Jews and Gentiles, through dangers of town and of desert, through dangers on the sea, through dangers among false brothers — ²⁷ through labour and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger and thirst, starving many a time, cold and ill-clad, and all the rest of it.

⁹ but he told me, "It is enough for you to have my grace: it is in weakness that [my] power is fully felt." So I am proud to boast of all my weakness, and thus to have the power of Christ resting on my life. ¹⁰ It makes me satisfied, for Christ's sake, with weakness, insults, trouble, persecution, and calamity; for I am strong just when I am weak.

³ That will prove to you that I am indeed a spokesman of Christ. It is no weak Christ you have to do with, but a Christ of power.

³ grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

¹⁵ But the God who had set me apart from my very birth called me by his grace, ¹⁶ and when he chose to reveal his Son to me, that I might preach him to the Gentiles, instead of consulting with any human being,

⁷ On the contrary, when they saw I had been entrusted with the gospel for the benefit of the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been for the circumcised ⁸ (for He who equipped Peter to be an apostle of the circumcised equipped me as well for the uncircumcised),

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, Christ lives in me; the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me.

⁹ So that those who rely on faith are blessed along with believing Abraham.

¹³ Christ ransomed us from the curse of the Law by becoming accursed for us (for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a gibbet),

¹¹ Why, you make me afraid I may have spent my labour on you for nothing!

¹⁹ O my dear children, you with whom I am in travail over again till Christ be formed within you,

⁵ for it is by faith that 'we' wait in the Spirit for the righteousness we hope for; ⁶ in Christ Jesus circumcision is not valid, neither is uncircumcision, but only faith active in love. ⁷ You were doing splendidly. Who was it that prevented you from obeying the Truth?

²² But the harvest of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, good temper, kindliness, generosity, fidelity,

²² But the harvest of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, good temper, kindliness, generosity, fidelity, ²³ gentleness, self-control: — there is no law against those who practise such things.

⁹ Never let us grow tired of doing what is right, for if we do not faint we shall reap our harvest at the opportune season.

¹ PAUL, by the will of God an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the saints who are faithful in Jesus Christ:

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who in Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly sphere! ⁴ He chose us in him ere the world was founded, to be consecrated and unblemished in his sight, ⁵ destining us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ. Such was the purpose of his will, ⁶ redounding to the praise of his glorious grace bestowed on us in the Beloved, ⁷ in whom we enjoy our redemption, the forgiveness of our trespasses, by the blood he shed. ⁸ So richly has God lavished his grace upon us!

¹⁰ so to order it in the fulness of the ages that all things in heaven and earth alike should be gathered up in Christ — ¹¹ in the Christ in whom we have had our heritage allotted us (as was decreed in the design of him who carries out everything according to the counsel of his will),

¹³ You also have heard the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation, and in him you also by your faith have been stamped with the seal of the long-promised holy Spirit

¹⁵ Hence, as I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

¹⁵ Hence, as I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ I never cease to give thanks for you, when I mention you in my prayers. ¹⁷ May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, grant you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation for the knowledge of himself,

¹⁷ May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, grant you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation for the knowledge of himself,

¹⁷ May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, grant you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation for the knowledge of himself, ¹⁸ illuminating the eyes of your heart so that you can understand the hope to which He calls us, the wealth of his glorious heritage in the saints,

¹⁸ illuminating the eyes of your heart so that you can understand the hope to which He calls us, the wealth of his glorious heritage in the saints,

¹⁸ illuminating the eyes of your heart so that you can understand the hope to which He calls us, the wealth of his glorious heritage in the saints,

¹⁸ illuminating the eyes of your heart so that you can understand the hope to which He calls us, the wealth of his glorious heritage in the saints, ¹⁹ and the surpassing greatness of his power over us believers — a power which operates with the strength of the might

¹⁹ and the surpassing greatness of his power over us believers — a power which operates with the strength of the might

¹⁹ and the surpassing greatness of his power over us believers — a power which operates with the strength of the might ²⁰ which he exerted in raising Christ from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavenly sphere,

²⁰ which he exerted in raising Christ from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavenly sphere, ²¹ above all the angelic Rulers, Authorities, Powers, and Lords, above every Name that is to be named not only in this age but in the age to come — ²² he has put everything under his feet and set him as head over everything for the church, ²³ the church which is his Body, filled by him who fills the universe entirely.

²³ the church which is his Body, filled by him who fills the universe entirely.

¹ And as with us so with you. You were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you moved as you followed the course of this world, under the sway of the prince of the air — the spirit which is at present active within those sons of disobedience ³ among whom all of us lived, we as well as you, when we obeyed the passions of our flesh, carrying out the dictates of the flesh and its impulses, when we were objects of God's anger by nature, like the rest of men.

³ among whom all of us lived, we as well as you, when we obeyed the passions of our flesh, carrying out the dictates of the flesh and its impulses, when we were objects of God's anger by nature, like the rest of men. ⁴ But, dead in trespasses as we were, God was so rich in mercy that for his great love to us ⁵ he made us live together with Christ (it is by grace you have been saved); ⁶ together with Christ he raised and seated us within the heavenly sphere in Christ Jesus, ⁷ to display throughout ages to come his surpassing wealth of grace and goodness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, as you had faith; it is not your doing but God's gift, ⁹ not the outcome of what you have done — lest anyone should pride himself on that; ¹⁰ God has made us what we are, creating us in Christ Jesus for the good deeds which are prepared beforehand by God as our sphere of action.

¹⁰ God has made us what we are, creating us in Christ Jesus for the good deeds which are prepared beforehand by God as our sphere of action.

¹² remember you were in those days outside Christ, aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the Promise, devoid of hope and God within the world. ¹³ Whereas now, within Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace, he who has made both of us a unity and destroyed the barrier which kept us apart; ¹⁵ in his own flesh he put an end to the feud of the Law with its code of commands, so as to make peace by the creation of a new Man in himself out of both parties,

¹⁵ in his own flesh he put an end to the feud of the Law with its code of commands, so as to make peace by the creation of a new Man in himself out of both parties, ¹⁶ so as himself to give the death-blow to that feud by reconciling them both to God in one Body through the cross;

¹⁶ so as himself to give the death-blow to that feud by reconciling them both to God in one Body through the cross; ¹⁷ he came with a gospel of peace for those far away (that is, for you) and for those who were near,

¹⁹ Thus you are strangers and foreigners no longer, you share the membership of the saints, you belong to God's own household,

²¹ in him the whole structure is welded together and rises into a sacred temple in the Lord, ²² and in him you are yourselves built into this to form a habitation for God in the Spirit.

¹ For this reason I Paul, I whom Jesus has made a prisoner for the sake of you Gentiles — ² for surely you have heard how the grace of God which was vouchsafed me in your interests has ordered it, ³ how the divine secret was disclosed to me by a revelation (if you read what I have already written briefly about this, ⁴ you can understand my insight into that secret of Christ ⁵ which was not disclosed to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his sacred apostles and prophets by the Spirit), ⁶ namely, that in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are co-heirs, companions, and co-partners in the Promise.

⁶ namely, that in Christ Jesus the Gentiles are co-heirs, companions, and co-partners in the Promise. ⁷ Such is the gospel which I was called to serve by the endowment of God's grace which was vouchsafed me, by the energy of his power;

⁷ Such is the gospel which I was called to serve by the endowment of God's grace which was vouchsafed me, by the energy of his power;

⁷ Such is the gospel which I was called to serve by the endowment of God's grace which was vouchsafed me, by the energy of his power; ⁸ less than the least of all saints as I am, this grace was vouchsafed me, that I should bring the Gentiles the gospel of the fathomless wealth of Christ

⁸ less than the least of all saints as I am, this grace was vouchsafed me, that I should bring the Gentiles the gospel of the fathomless wealth of Christ

⁸ less than the least of all saints as I am, this grace was vouchsafed me, that I should bring the Gentiles the gospel of the fathomless wealth of Christ ⁹ and enlighten all men upon the new order of that divine secret which God the Creator of all concealed from eternity — ¹⁰ intending to let the full sweep of the divine wisdom be disclosed now by the church to the angelic Rulers and Authorities in the heavenly sphere,

¹³ So I beg of you not to lose heart over what I am suffering on your behalf; my sufferings are an honour to you. ¹⁴ For this reason, then, I kneel before the Father ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name and nature, ¹⁶ praying Him out of the wealth of his glory to grant you a mighty increase of strength by his Spirit in the inner man.

¹⁶ praying Him out of the wealth of his glory to grant you a mighty increase of strength by his Spirit in the inner man.

¹⁶ praying Him out of the wealth of his glory to grant you a mighty increase of strength by his Spirit in the inner man. ¹⁷ May Christ dwell in your hearts as you have faith!

¹⁷ May Christ dwell in your hearts as you have faith!

¹⁷ May Christ dwell in your hearts as you have faith! ¹⁸ May you be so fixed and founded in love that you can grasp with all the saints what is the meaning of 'the Breadth,' 'the Length,' 'the Depth' and 'the Height,' ¹⁹ by knowing the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge! May you be filled with the entire fulness of God! ²⁰ Now to him who by the action of his power within us can do all things, aye far more than we ever ask or imagine,

¹ As the Lord's prisoner, then, I beg of you to live a life worthy of your calling, ² with perfect modesty and gentleness, showing forbearance to one another patiently, zealous in love

⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over us all, who pervades us all, who is within us all.

¹⁰ He who descended is he who ascended above all the heavens to fill the universe; ¹¹ he granted some men to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to shepherd and teach, ¹² for the equipment of the saints, for the business of the ministry, for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ, ¹³ till we should all attain the unity of the faith and knowledge of God's Son, reaching maturity, reaching the full measure of development which belongs to the fulness of Christ —

¹³ till we should all attain the unity of the faith and knowledge of God's Son, reaching maturity, reaching the full measure of development which belongs to the fulness of Christ —

¹⁵ we are to hold by the truth, and by our love to grow up wholly into Him. For He, Christ, is the head, and under him, ¹⁶ as the entire Body is welded together and compacted by every joint with which it is supplied, the due activity of each part enables the Body to grow and build itself up in love.

¹⁶ as the entire Body is welded together and compacted by every joint with which it is supplied, the due activity of each part enables the Body to grow and build itself up in love.

¹⁸ their intelligence is darkened, they are estranged from the life of God by the ignorance which their dulness of heart has produced in them —

²¹ (for it is Christ whom you have been taught, it is in Christ that you have been instructed — the real Christ who is in Jesus);

²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

³² be kind to each other, be tender-hearted, be generous to each other as God has been generous to you in Christ.

² and lead lives of love, just as Christ loved you and gave himself up for you to be a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

⁴ no, nor indecent, silly, or scurrilous talk — all that is improper. Rather, voice your thanks to God.

⁸ For while once upon a time you were darkness, now in the Lord you are light; lead the life of those who are children of the light ⁹ (for the fruit of light consists in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ verifying what pleases the Lord.

¹⁵ Be strictly careful then about the life you lead; act like sensible men, not like thoughtless;

¹⁷ So do not be senseless, but understand what is the Lord's will;

²⁰ and render thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ at all times and for all things. ²¹ Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²³ for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ also (though he is the saviour of the Body) is the head of the church;

²⁷ in order to have the church as his very own, standing before him in all her glory, with never a spot or wrinkle or any such flaw, but consecrated and unblemished.

⁶ instead of merely working when their eye is on you, like those who court human favour, do God's will from the heart like servants of Christ,

¹⁰ To conclude. Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might;

¹² For we have to struggle, not with blood and flesh but with the angelic Rulers, the angelic Authorities, the potentates of the dark present, the spirit-forces of evil in the heavenly sphere.

²¹ Our beloved brother Tychicus, a faithful minister in the Lord, will give you all information about me, so that you may know how I am;

¹ PAUL and Timotheus, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, as well as to the bishops and deacons:

³ I thank my God for all your remembrance of me; ⁴ in all my prayers for you all I always pray with a sense of joy

⁴ in all my prayers for you all I always pray with a sense of joy ⁵ for what you have contributed to the gospel from the very first day down to this moment;

⁹ And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more rich in knowledge and all manner of insight, enabling you to have a sense of what is vital, ¹⁰ so that you may be transparent and no harm to anyone in view of the day of Christ, ¹¹ your life covered with that harvest of righteousness which Jesus Christ produces to the glory and the praise of God.

¹¹ your life covered with that harvest of righteousness which Jesus Christ produces to the glory and the praise of God.

¹⁵ Some of them, it is true, are actually preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, others from goodwill; ¹⁶ the latter do it from love to me, knowing that I am set here to defend the gospel, ¹⁷ but the former proclaim Christ for their own ends, with mixed motives, intending to annoy me as I lie in prison. ¹⁸ What does it matter? Anyhow, for ulterior ends or honestly, Christ is being proclaimed, and I rejoice over that; yes and I will rejoice over it.

²⁷ Only, do lead a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. Whether I come and see you or only hear of you in absence, let me know you are standing firm in a common spirit, fighting side by side like one man for the faith of the gospel.

³⁰ by waging the same conflict that, as once you saw and now you hear, I wage myself.

⁶ Though he was divine by nature, he did not set store upon equality with God

¹⁰ so that before the Name of Jesus every knee should bend in heaven, on earth, and underneath the earth,

¹³ for it is God who in his goodwill enables you to will this and to achieve it.

¹⁶ hold fast the word of life, so that I can be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because I have not run or worked for nothing. ¹⁷ Even if my life-blood has to be poured as a libation on the sacred sacrifice of faith you are offering to God, I rejoice, I congratulate you all — ¹⁸ and you in turn must rejoice and congratulate me. ¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send you Timotheus before long, that I may be heartened by news of you. ²⁰ I have no one like him, for genuine interest in your welfare. ²¹ Everybody is selfish, instead of caring for Jesus Christ. ²² But you know how he has stood the test, how he has served with me in the gospel, like a son helping his father.

²⁵ As for Epaphroditus, however, my brother, my fellow-worker, my fellow-soldier, and your messenger to meet my wants, I think it necessary to send you him at once,

¹⁰ I would know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, with my nature transformed to die as he died,

⁶ Never be anxious, but always make your requests known to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving;

¹³ In him who strengthens me I am able for anything.

¹⁷ It is not the money I am anxious for; what I am anxious for is the interest that accumulates in this way to your divine credit! ¹⁸ Your debt to me is fully paid and more than paid! I am amply supplied with what you have sent by Epaphroditus, a fragrant perfume, the sort of sacrifice that God approves and welcomes. ¹⁹ My God will supply all your own needs from his wealth in Glory in Christ Jesus.

³ We always thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you, ⁴ since we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints,

⁴ since we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints, ⁵ due to the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. You heard of this hope originally in the message of the Truth, in that gospel

⁵ due to the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. You heard of this hope originally in the message of the Truth, in that gospel ⁶ which has reached you as it spreads over all the world with fruit and increase. Such has been your life from the day you learned to know what God's grace really is.

⁶ which has reached you as it spreads over all the world with fruit and increase. Such has been your life from the day you learned to know what God's grace really is.

⁹ Hence, from the day we heard of it, we have never ceased to pray for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and insight, ¹⁰ so that you may lead a life that is worthy of the Lord and give him entire satisfaction. May you be fruitful and increase in the doing of all good, as you thus know God!

¹³ rescuing us from the power of the Darkness and transferring us to the realm of his beloved Son!

¹⁵ He is the likeness of the unseen God, born first before all the creation — ¹⁶ for it was by him that all things were created both in heaven and on earth, both the seen and the unseen, including Thrones, angelic Lords, celestial Powers and Rulers; all things have been created by him and for him; ¹⁷ he is prior to all, and all coheres in him. ¹⁸ Also, he is the head of the Body, that is, of the church, in virtue of his primacy as the first to be born from the dead — that gives him pre-eminence over all.

²⁰ and by him it willed to reconcile in his own person all on earth and in heaven alike, in a peace made by the blood of his cross. ²¹ Once you were estranged yourselves, your hearts hostile to him in evildoing; but now he has reconciled you by dying in his mortal body, ²² so as to set you consecrated and unblemished and irreproachable in his presence —

²² so as to set you consecrated and unblemished and irreproachable in his presence — ²³ that is, if you adhere to the foundations and stability of the faith, instead of moving away from the hope you have learned in the gospel, that gospel which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I Paul was made a minister. ²⁴ I am suffering now on your behalf, but I rejoice in that; I would make up the full sum of all that Christ has to suffer in my person on behalf of the church, his Body; ²⁵ for I am a minister of the church by the divine commission which has been granted me in your interests, to make a full presentation of God's message —

²⁷ It is His will that they should understand the glorious wealth which this secret holds for the Gentiles, in the fact of Christ's presence among you as your hope of glory.

¹ Striving? Yes, I want you to understand my deep concern for you and for those at Laodicea, for all who have never seen my face. ² May their hearts be encouraged! May they learn the meaning of love! May they have all the wealth of conviction that comes from insight! May they learn to know that open secret of God, the Father of Christ, ³ in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge lie hidden!

⁶ Since you have had the messiah, even Jesus the Lord, brought to you, lead your life in him, ⁷ fixed and founded in him, confirmed in the faith as you have been taught it, and overflowing with thankfulness to God.

⁹ It is in Christ that the entire Fulness of deity has settled bodily, ¹⁰ it is in him that you reach your full life, and he is the Head of every angelic Ruler and Power;

¹⁰ it is in him that you reach your full life, and he is the Head of every angelic Ruler and Power; ¹¹ in him you have been circumcised with no material circumcision that cuts flesh from the body, but with Christ's own circumcision, ¹² when you were buried with him in your baptism and thereby raised with him as you believed in the power of the God who raised him from the dead. ¹³ For though you were dead in your trespasses, your flesh uncircumcised, He made you live with Christ, He forgave us all our trespasses,

¹³ For though you were dead in your trespasses, your flesh uncircumcised, He made you live with Christ, He forgave us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ He cancelled the regulations that stood against us — all these obligations he set aside when he nailed them to the cross, ¹⁵ when he cut away the angelic Rulers and Powers from us, exposing them to all the world and triumphing over them in the cross.

¹⁹ instead of keeping in touch with that Head under whom the entire Body, supplied with joints and sinews and thus compacted, grows with growth divine.

¹¹ In it there is no room for Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free man; Christ is everything and everywhere.

¹³ forbear and forgive each other in any case of complaint; as Christ forgave you, so must you forgive.

¹⁵ Also, let the peace of Christ be supreme within your hearts — that is why you have been called as members of the one Body. And you must be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the inspiration of Christ dwell in your midst with all its wealth of wisdom; teach and train one another with the music of psalms, with hymns, and songs of the spiritual life; praise God with thankful hearts. ¹⁷ Indeed, whatever you say or do, let everything be done in dependence on the Lord Jesus, giving thanks in his name to God the Father.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents at every point, for this pleases the Lord right well.

⁵ Let Christian wisdom rule your behaviour to the outside world; make the very most of your time;

⁷ Tychicus, that beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord, will give you all information about me.

¹² Epaphras, who is one of yourselves, salutes you — a servant of Christ Jesus who is always earnest in prayer for you, that you may stand firm like mature and convinced Christians, whatever be the will of God for you.

¹ Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace and peace to you. ² We always thank God for you all when we mention you constantly in our prayers, ³ as we recall your active faith and labour of love and patient hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.

⁵ for our gospel came to you not with mere words but also with power and with the holy Spirit, with ample conviction on our part (you know what we were to you, for your own good),

⁹ Brothers, you recollect our hard labour and toil, how we worked at our trade night and day, when we preached the gospel to you, so as not to be a burden to any of you.

¹² to lead a life worthy of the God who called you to his own realm and glory. ¹³ We thank God constantly for this too, that when you received the word of the divine message from us, you took it not as a human word but for what it really is, the word of God. It proves effective in you believers,

² I sent Timotheus our brother, a minister of God in the gospel of Christ, for your strengthening and encouragement in the faith, ³ to prevent anyone being disturbed by these troubles. (Troubles are our lot, you know that well;

³ to prevent anyone being disturbed by these troubles. (Troubles are our lot, you know that well; ⁴ for we told you beforehand, when we were with you, that "we Christians are to have trouble" — and, as you know, it has been so.) ⁵ Well then, unable to bear it any longer, I sent to find out about your faith, in case the Tempter had tempted you and our labour had been thrown away. ⁶ But when Timotheus reached me a moment ago, on his return from you, bringing me the good news of your faith and love and of how you always remember me kindly, longing to see me as I long to see you,

¹⁰ Night and day I pray specially that I may see your faces and supply what is defective in your faith. ¹¹ May our God and Father and our Lord Jesus direct my way to you! ¹² And may the Lord make you increase and excel in love to one another and to all men (as is my love for you), ¹³ so as to strengthen your hearts and make them blameless in holiness before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. [Amen.]

¹ Finally, brothers, we beg and beseech you in the Lord Jesus to follow our instructions about the way you are to live so as to satisfy God; you are leading that life, but you are to excel in it still further.

⁶ no one is to defraud or overreach his brother in this matter, for the Lord avenges all these sins, as we told you already in our solemn protest against them. ⁷ God did not call us to be impure but to be consecrated;

⁹ You need no one to write you upon brotherly love, for you are yourselves taught by God to love one another, ¹⁰ as indeed is your practice towards all the brothers throughout all Macedonia. We beseech you, brothers, to excel in this more and more;

⁸ but we must be sober, we who belong to the day, clad in faith and love as our coat of mail, with the hope of salvation as our helmet —

¹² Brothers, we beg you to respect those who are working among you, presiding over you in the Lord and maintaining discipline; ¹³ hold them in special esteem and affection, for the sake of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ We beseech you, brothers, keep a check upon loafers, encourage the faint-hearted, sustain weak souls, never lose your temper with anyone;

¹⁷ never give up prayer,

¹ PAUL and Silvanus and Timotheus, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

³ We are bound always to thank God for you, brothers — it is proper that we should, because your faith grows apace and your mutual love, one and all, is increasing.

¹¹ In view of this we always pray for you, asking our God to make you worthy of his calling and by his power to fulfil every good resolve and every effort of faith,

¹³ Now we are bound always to thank God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you as the first to be reaped for salvation, by the consecration of your spirit and by faith in the Truth;

¹⁶ And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope,

¹⁶ And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ graciously encourage your hearts and strengthen them for all good in deed and word.

⁸ we did not take free meals from anyone; no, toiling hard at our trade, we worked night and day, so as not to be a burden to any of you.

¹ Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Saviour and Christ Jesus our Hope,

¹² I render thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has made me able for this; he considered me trustworthy and appointed me to the ministry,

¹⁵ It is a sure word, it deserves all praise, that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"; and though I am the foremost of sinners,

¹⁷ To the King of eternity, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever: Amen.

⁶ the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all": — in due time this was attested, ⁷ and I was appointed to be its herald and apostle (I am not telling a lie, it is quite true), to teach the Gentiles faith and truth.

² Well, for the office of a bishop a man must be above reproach; he must be only married once, he must be temperate, master of himself, unruffled, hospitable, a skilled teacher,

¹⁶ And who does not admit how profound is the divine truth of our religion? — it is He who was "manifest in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by the angels, preached among the nations, believed on throughout the world, taken up to glory."

⁶ Lay this before the brotherhood, and you will be an excellent minister of Christ Jesus, brought up on the truths of the faith and on the lessons of the good doctrine you have already followed.

¹⁶ who alone has immortality, who dwells in light that none can approach, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honour and eternal dominion: Amen.

³ I render thanks to God, the God of my fathers whom I worship with a pure conscience, as I mention you constantly in my prayers.

³ I render thanks to God, the God of my fathers whom I worship with a pure conscience, as I mention you constantly in my prayers. ⁴ When I recall the tears you shed when we parted, I long by night and day to see you again. That would fill me with joy,

⁷ for God has not given us a timid spirit but a spirit of power and love and discipline. ⁸ So do not be ashamed to testify to our Lord, and do not be ashamed of a prisoner of the Lord like me; join me in bearing suffering for the gospel by the power of the God

¹⁰ and has now revealed in the appearance of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has put down death and brought life and immortality to light by the gospel. ¹¹ Of that gospel I have been appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, ¹² and this is why I am suffering. Still, I am not ashamed of it; I know whom I have trusted and I am certain he is able to keep what I have put into his hands till the great Day.

¹ Now, my son, be strong in the grace of Christ Jesus, ² and transmit the instructions I gave you in presence of many witnesses to trustworthy men, that they may be competent to teach others.

² and transmit the instructions I gave you in presence of many witnesses to trustworthy men, that they may be competent to teach others. ³ Join the ranks of those who bear suffering, like a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier gets entangled in civil pursuits; his aim is to satisfy his commander.

⁹ for which I have to suffer imprisonment as if I were a criminal. (But there is no prison for the word of God.) ¹⁰ All I endure is for the sake of the elect, to let them obtain their share of the salvation of Christ Jesus and also of eternal glory.

¹⁰ All I endure is for the sake of the elect, to let them obtain their share of the salvation of Christ Jesus and also of eternal glory.

²⁴ And the Lord's servant must not be a man of strife; he must be kind to everybody, a skilled teacher, a man who will not resent injuries; ²⁵ he must be gentle in his admonitions to the opposition — God may perhaps let them change their mind and admit the Truth;

² I adjure you to preach the word; keep at it in season and out of season, refuting, checking, and exhorting men; never lose patience with them, and never give up your teaching, ³ for the time will come when people will decline to be taught sound doctrine and will accumulate teachers to suit themselves and tickle their own fancies; ⁴ they will give up listening to the Truth and turn to myths. ⁵ Whatever happens, be self-possessed, flinch from no suffering, do your work as an evangelist, and discharge all your duties as a minister.

⁵ Whatever happens, be self-possessed, flinch from no suffering, do your work as an evangelist, and discharge all your duties as a minister. ⁶ The last drops of my own sacrifice are falling; my time to go has come.

⁸ Now the crown of a good life awaits me, with which the Lord, that just Judge, will reward me on the great Day — and not only me but all who have loved and longed for his appearance.

² serving in hope of the life eternal which God, who never lies, promised ages ago —

¹⁵ For the pure all things are pure, but nothing is pure for the polluted and unbelieving; their very mind and conscience are polluted. ¹⁶ They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds; they are detestable, disobedient, and useless for good work of any kind.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared to save all men, ¹² and it schools us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions and to live a life of self-mastery, of integrity, and of piety in this present world,

¹⁴ who gave himself up for us to redeem us from all iniquity and secure himself a clean people with a zest for good works.

¹ Remind them to be submissive to their rulers and authorities; they must obey, they must be ready for any good work,

³ For we ourselves were once senseless, disobedient, astray, enslaved to all manner of passions and pleasures; we spent our days in malice and envy, we were hateful, and we hated one another.

³ For we ourselves were once senseless, disobedient, astray, enslaved to all manner of passions and pleasures; we spent our days in malice and envy, we were hateful, and we hated one another. ⁴ But "the goodness and affection of God our Saviour appeared;

⁴ But "the goodness and affection of God our Saviour appeared; ⁵ and he saved us, not for anything we had done but from his own pity for us, by the water that means regeneration and renewal under the holy Spirit

⁵ and he saved us, not for anything we had done but from his own pity for us, by the water that means regeneration and renewal under the holy Spirit ⁶ which he poured upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour,

⁶ which he poured upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, ⁷ that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs to the hope of life eternal."

⁷ that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs to the hope of life eternal."

¹⁴ Our people must really learn to profess honest occupations, so as to be able to meet such special occasions; they must not be idle.

¹ Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus and brother Timotheus, to our beloved fellow-worker Philemon,

⁴ I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers; ⁵ for as I hear of your love and loyalty to the Lord Jesus and to all the saints,

²³ Epaphras my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus salutes you.

² but in these days at the end he has spoken to us by a Son — a Son whom he appointed heir of the universe, as it was by him that he created the world. ³ He, reflecting God's bright glory and stamped with God's own character, sustains the universe with his word of power; when he had secured our purification from sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;

⁵ For to what angel did God ever say, 'Thou art my son, to-day have I become thy father'? Or again, 'I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me'? ⁶ And further, when introducing the Firstborn into the world, he says, 'Let all God's angels worship him.'

⁶ And further, when introducing the Firstborn into the world, he says, 'Let all God's angels worship him.'

¹⁰ and, 'Thou didst found the earth at the beginning, O Lord, and the heavens are the work at thy hands; ¹¹ they will perish, but thou remainest, they will all be worn out like a garment, ¹² thou wilt roll them up like a mantle and they win be changed, but thou art the same, and thy years will never fail.'

¹⁰ In bringing many sons to glory, it was befitting that He for whom and by whom the universe exists, should perfect the Pioneer of their salvation by suffering.

¹⁴ Since the children then share blood and flesh, he himself participated in their nature, so that by dying he might crush him who wields the power of death (that is to say, the devil)

¹⁷ He had to resemble his brothers in every respect, in order to prove a merciful and faithful high priest in things divine, to expiate the sins of the People.

¹ Holy brothers, you who participate in a heavenly calling, look at Jesus then, at the apostle and high priest of our confession; ² he is faithful to Him who appointed him. For while Moses also was faithful in every department of God's house, ³ Jesus has been adjudged greater glory than Moses, inasmuch as the founder of a house enjoys greater honour than the house itself. ⁴ (Every house is founded by someone, but God is the founder of all.)

⁶ Christ is faithful as a Son over God's house. Now we are this house of God, if we will only keep confident and proud of our hope.

¹⁴ For we only participate in Christ provided that we keep firm to the very end the confidence with which we started,

¹⁴ As we have a great high priest, then, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession;

¹⁰ God is not unfair; he will not forget what you have done, or the love you have shown for his sake in ministering, as you still do, to the saints.

¹⁹ anchoring the soul to it safe and sure, as it enters the inner Presence behind the veil.

¹⁹ (for the Law made nothing perfect), and there is introduced a better Hope, by means of which we can draw near to God.

¹² not taking any blood of goats and oxen but his own blood, and entered once for all into the Holy place. He secured an eternal redemption.

²² In fact, one might almost say that by Law everything is cleansed with blood. No blood shed, no remission of sins!

¹⁰ And it is by this will that we are consecrated, because Jesus Christ once for all has offered up his body.

¹² He offered a single sacrifice for sins and then seated himself for all time at the right hand of God, ¹³ to wait until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by a single offering he has made the sanctified perfect for all time.

¹⁴ For by a single offering he has made the sanctified perfect for all time.

²⁰ by the fresh, living way which he has inaugurated for us through the veil (that is, through his flesh),

³⁴ for you did sympathize with the prisoners, and you took the confiscation of your own belongings cheerfully, conscious that elsewhere you had higher, you had lasting, possessions. ³⁵ Now do not drop that confidence of yours; it carries with it a rich hope of reward. ³⁶ Steady patience is what you need, so that after doing the will of God you may get what you have been promised.

³⁶ Steady patience is what you need, so that after doing the will of God you may get what you have been promised. ³⁷ For in a little, a very little now, The Coming One will arrive without delay. ³⁸ Meantime my just man shall live on by his faith; if he shrinks back, my soul takes no delight in him.

³⁸ Meantime my just man shall live on by his faith; if he shrinks back, my soul takes no delight in him.

⁵ It was by faith that Enoch was taken to heaven, so that he never died (he was not overtaken by death, for God had taken him away). For before he was taken to heaven, his record was that he had satisfied God;

²⁷ It was by faith that he left Egypt, not from any fear of the king's wrath; like one who saw the King Invisible, he never flinched.

³⁴ quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness won to strength, proved valiant in warfare, and routed hosts of foreigners. ³⁵ Some were given back to their womankind, raised from the very dead; others were broken on the wheel, refusing to accept release, that they might obtain a better resurrection; ³⁶ others, again, had to experience scoffs and scourging, aye chains and imprisonment — ³⁷ they were stoned, sawn in two, and cut to pieces; they had to roam about in sheepskins and goatskins, forlorn, oppressed, ill-treated ³⁸ (men of whom the world was not worthy), wanderers in the desert and among the hills, in caves and gullies.

¹ Therefore, with all this host of witnesses encircling us, we must strip off every handicap, strip off sin with its clinging folds, to run our appointed course steadily, ² our eyes fixed upon Jesus as the pioneer and the perfection of faith — upon Jesus who, in order to reach his own appointed joy, steadily endured the cross, thinking nothing of its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

⁴ You have not had to shed blood yet in the struggle against sin.

²³ to the assembly of the first-born registered in heaven, to the God of all as judge, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

⁸ Jesus Christ is always the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

¹⁶ Do not forget beneficence and charity, either; these are the kind of sacrifices that are acceptable to God.

²⁰ May the God of peace who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, with the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹ furnish you with everything for the doing of his will, creating in your lives by Jesus Christ what is acceptable in his own sight! To him be glory for ever and ever: Amen.

²¹ furnish you with everything for the doing of his will, creating in your lives by Jesus Christ what is acceptable in his own sight! To him be glory for ever and ever: Amen.

² Greet it as pure joy, my brothers, when you come across any sort of trial,

² Greet it as pure joy, my brothers, when you come across any sort of trial, ³ sure that the sterling temper of your faith produces endurance; ⁴ only, let your endurance be a finished product, so that you may be finished and complete, with never a defect. ⁵ Whoever of you is defective in wisdom, let him ask God who gives to all men without question or reproach, and the gift will be his.

⁹ With the tongue we bless the Lord and Father, and with the tongue we curse men made in God's likeness;

¹⁷ The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, forbearing, conciliatory, full of mercy and wholesome fruit, unambiguous, straightforward;

⁴ (Wanton creatures! do you not know that the world's friendship means enmity to God? Whoever, then, chooses to be the world's friend, turns enemy to God.

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers, till the arrival of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious crop of the land, biding his time patiently till he gets the autumn and the spring rains; ⁸ have patience yourselves, strengthen your hearts, for the arrival of the Lord is at hand.

² whom God the Father has predestined and chosen, by the consecration of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: may grace and peace be multiplied to you.

² whom God the Father has predestined and chosen, by the consecration of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: may grace and peace be multiplied to you.

² whom God the Father has predestined and chosen, by the consecration of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: may grace and peace be multiplied to you. ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a life of hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a life of hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a life of hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a life of hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ born to an unscathed, inviolate, unfading inheritance; it is kept in heaven for you,

⁴ born to an unscathed, inviolate, unfading inheritance; it is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ and the power of God protects you by faith till you do inherit the salvation which is all ready to be revealed at the last hour.

⁵ and the power of God protects you by faith till you do inherit the salvation which is all ready to be revealed at the last hour.

¹⁹ but by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb unblemished and unstained. ²⁰ He was predestined before the foundation of the world and has appeared at the end of the ages for your sake; ²¹ it is by him that you believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory; and thus your faith means hope in God. ²² Now that your obedience to the Truth has purified your souls for a brotherly love that is sincere, love one another heartily and steadily.

²² Now that your obedience to the Truth has purified your souls for a brotherly love that is sincere, love one another heartily and steadily. ²³ You are born anew of immortal, not of mortal seed, by the living, lasting word of God;

² Like newly-born children, thirst for the pure, spiritual milk to make you grow up to salvation.

⁹ But you are the elect race, the royal priesthood, the consecrated nation, the People who belong to Him, that you may proclaim the wondrous deeds of Him who has called you from darkness to his wonderful light —

¹⁵ for it is the will of God that by your honest lives you should silence the ignorant charges of foolish persons.

¹⁵ but reverence Christ as Lord in your own hearts. Always be ready with a reply for anyone who calls you to account for the hope you cherish, but answer gently and with a sense of reverence;

¹⁸ Christ himself died for sins, once for all, a just man for unjust men, that he might bring us near to God; in the flesh he was put to death but he came to life in the Spirit.

²² who is at God's right hand — for he went to heaven after angels, authorities, and powers celestial had been made subject to him.)

² nerve you to spend the rest of your time in the flesh for the will of God and no longer for human passions.

¹ Now I make this appeal to your presbyters (for I am a presbyter myself, I was a witness of what Christ suffered and I am to share the glory that will be revealed),

¹² By the hand of Silvanus, a faithful brother (in my opinion), I have written you these few lines of encouragement, to testify that this is what the true grace of God means. Stand in that grace.

² grace and peace be multiplied to you by the knowledge of our Lord.

² grace and peace be multiplied to you by the knowledge of our Lord. ³ Inasmuch as his power divine has bestowed on us every requisite for life and piety by the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence —

⁶ intelligence with self-control, self-control with stedfastness, stedfastness with piety,

⁸ For as these qualities exist and increase with you, they render you active and fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ;

¹¹ you will thus be richly furnished with the right of entry into the eternal realm of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ By talking arrogant futilities they beguile with the sensual lure of fleshly passion those who are just escaping from the company of misconduct — ¹⁹ promising them freedom, when they are themselves enslaved to corruption (for a man is the slave of whatever overpowers him). ²⁰ After escaping the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, if they get entangled and overpowered again, the last state is worse for them than the first. ²¹ Better had they never known the Way of righteousness, than to know it and then turn back from the holy command which was committed to them. ²² They verify the truth of the proverb: "The dog turns back to what he has vomited, the sow when washed will wallow in the mire."

¹⁴ Then, beloved, as you are expecting this, be eager to be found by him unspotted and unblemished in serene assurance. ¹⁵ And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord means salvation; as indeed our beloved brother Paul has written to you out of the wisdom vouchsafed to him,

¹⁸ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory now and to the day of eternity: Amen.

¹ It is of what existed from the very beginning, of what we heard, of what we saw, of what we witnessed and touched with our own hands, it is of the Logos of Life

³ it is of what we heard and saw that we bring you word, so that you may share our fellowship; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

⁹ if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, he forgives our sins and cleanses us from all iniquity;

² he is himself the propitiation for our sins, though not for ours alone but also for the whole world.

⁸ And yet it is a new command I am writing to you — realized in him and also in yourselves, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

¹² My dear children, I am writing to you, because your sins are forgiven for his sake:

¹⁷ and the world is passing away with its desire, while he who does the will of God remains for ever.

²⁷ but the unction you received from him remains within you, and you really need no teaching from anyone; simply remain in him, for his unction teaches you about everything and is true and is no lie — remain in him, as it has taught you to do.

¹ 'Born of him!' Think what a love the Father has for us, in letting us be called 'children of God!' That is what we are. The world does not recognize us? That is simply because it did not recognize him. ² We are children of God now, beloved; what we are to be is not apparent yet, but we do know that when he appears, we are to be like him — for we are to see him as he is. ³ And everyone who rests this hope on him, purifies himself as he is pure.

³ And everyone who rests this hope on him, purifies himself as he is pure.

⁸ he who commits sin belongs to the devil, for the devil is a sinner from the very beginning. (This is why the Son of God appeared, to destroy the deeds of the devil.)

¹⁴ We know we have crossed from death to life, because we love the brotherhood; he who has no love [for his brother] remains in death.

²² and we get from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight. ²³ Now this is what he commands, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as he has commanded us to do;

⁴ My dear children, you belong to God, and you have conquered all such, for He who is within you is greater than he who is in the world.

⁹ This is how the love of God has appeared for us, by God sending his only Son into the world, so that by him we might live. ¹⁰ Love lies in this, not in our love for him but in his love for us — in the sending of his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

¹⁶ well, we do know, we have believed, the love God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.

²⁰ We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us insight to know Him who is the Real God; and we are in Him who is real, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the real God, this is life eternal.

³ For I was overjoyed when some brothers arrived and testified to the truth of your life, as indeed you do lead the true Life; ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear of my children living in the Truth.

² mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.

²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from slipping and to make you stand unblemished and exultant before his glory — ²⁵ to the only God, our saviour through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and for all time: Amen.

⁴ John to the seven churches in Asia: grace be to you and peace from HE WHO IS AND WAS AND IS COMING, and from the seven Spirits before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead, and the prince over the kings of earth; to him who loves us and has loosed us from our sins by shedding his blood —

⁸ "I am the alpha and the omega," saith the Lord God, who is and was and is coming, the almighty.

¹¹ "Write your vision in a book, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamum and Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea."

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man; but he laid his hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and Last, ¹⁸ I was dead and here I am alive for evermore, holding the keys that unlock death and Hades.

³ I know that you are enduring patiently and have borne up for my sake and have not wearied.

⁸ Then to the angel of the church at Smyrna write thus: — These are the words of the First and Last, who was dead and came to life:

¹⁰ Have no fear of what you are to suffer. The devil indeed is going to put some of you in prison, that you may be tested; you will have a distressful ten days. Be faithful, though you have to die for it, and I will give you the crown of Life.

¹⁴ Then to the angel of the church at Laodicea write thus: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God's creation.

²⁰ Lo, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup with him, and he with me.

⁹ singing a new song: "Thou deservest to take the scroll and open its seals, for thou wast slain and by shedding thy blood hast ransomed for God men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation;

⁹ singing a new song: "Thou deservest to take the scroll and open its seals, for thou wast slain and by shedding thy blood hast ransomed for God men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation; ¹⁰ thou hast made them kings and priests for our God, and they shall reign on earth." ¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels round the throne and of the living Creatures and of the Presbyters, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² crying aloud, "The slain Lamb deserves to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing." ¹³ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth crying, "Blessing and honour and glory and dominion for ever and ever, to him who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb!"

¹³ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth crying, "Blessing and honour and glory and dominion for ever and ever, to him who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb!" ¹⁴ "Amen," said the four living Creatures, and the Presbyters fell down and worshipped.

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel blew; and loud voices followed in heaven, crying, "The rule of the world has passed to our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever."

⁴ They have not been defiled by intercourse with women — they are celibates; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been ransomed from among men, as the first to be reaped for God and the Lamb.

¹² This is what shows the patience of the saints — they who keep God's commands and the faith of Jesus.

⁶ Then he said, "All is over! I am the alpha and the omega, the First and the Last. I will let the thirsty drink of the fountain of the water of Life without price.

²³ And the City needs no sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God illumines it, and the Lamb lights it up.

²³ And the City needs no sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God illumines it, and the Lamb lights it up. ²⁴ By its light will the nations walk; and into it will the kings of earth bring their glories

⁵ Night there shall be none; they need no lamp or sun to shine upon them, for the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign for ever and ever.

¹³ [Relocated to follow vs 16] I am the alpha and the omega, the First and the Last, the beginning and the end. ¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, that theirs may be the right to the tree of Life, the right to enter the gates of the City!