Ephesians -1 Timothy Greetings from PaulFrom: Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus by God’s will.To: His holy and faithful people in Ephesus who are in union with the Messiah Jesus.

ISV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Greetings from PaulFrom: Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus by God’s will.
To: His holy and faithful people in Ephesus who are in union with the Messiah Jesus.
² May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours!
³ The Many Blessings of SalvationBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah! He has blessed us in the Messiah with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm, ⁴ just as he chose us in the Messiah before the creation of the universe to be holy and blameless in his presence. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself through Jesus the Messiah, according to the pleasure of his will, ⁶ so that we would praise his glorious grace that he gave us in the Beloved One. ⁷ In union with him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us, along with all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ when he made known to us the secret of his will. This was according to his plan that he set forth in the Messiah ¹⁰ to usher in the fullness of the times and to bring together in the Messiah all things in heaven and on earth.
¹¹ In the Messiah we were also chosen when we were predestined according to the purpose of the one who does everything that he wills to do, ¹² so that we who had already fixed our hope on the Messiah might live for his praise and glory. ¹³ You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in the Messiah, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until God redeems his own possession for his praise and glory.
¹⁵ Paul’s Prayer for the EphesiansTherefore, because I have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ I never stop giving thanks for you as I mention you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the most glorious Father, would give you a wise spirit, along with revelation that comes through knowing the Messiah fully. ¹⁸ Then, with the eyes of your hearts enlightened, you will know the confidence that is produced by God having called you, the rich glory that is his inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹ and the unlimited greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his mighty strength, ²⁰ which he brought about in the Messiah when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realm. ²¹ He is far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion, and every name that can be named, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come. ²² God has put everything under the Messiah’s feet and has made him the head of everything for the good of the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills everything in every way.
² ¹ God Has Brought Us from Death to LifeYou used to be dead because of your offenses and sins ² that you once practiced as you lived according to the ways of this present world and according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now active in those who are disobedient. ³ Indeed, all of us once behaved like them in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and senses. By nature we were destined for wrath, just like everyone else. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love for us ⁵ even when we were dead because of our offenses, made us alive together with the Messiah (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly realm in the Messiah Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might display the limitless riches of his grace that comes to us through his kindness in the Messiah Jesus. ⁸ For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God ⁹ and not the result of actions, to put a stop to all boasting. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece, created in the Messiah Jesus to perform good actions that God prepared long ago to be our way of life.
¹¹ All Believers are One in the MessiahSo then, remember that at one time you gentiles by birth were called “the uncircumcised” by those who called themselves “the circumcised.” They underwent physical circumcision done by human hands. ¹² At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from citizenship in Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise. You had no hope and were in the world without God. ¹³ But now, in union with the Messiah Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.
¹⁴ For it is he who is our peace. Through his mortality he made both groups one by tearing down the wall of hostility that divided them. ¹⁵ He rendered the Law inoperative, along with its commandments and regulations, thus creating in himself one new humanity from the two, thereby making peace, ¹⁶ and reconciling both groups to God in one body through the cross, on which he eliminated the hostility. ¹⁷ He came and proclaimed peace for you who were far away and for you who were near. ¹⁸ For through him, both of us have access to the Father by one Spirit. ¹⁹ That is why you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the Messiah Jesus himself being the cornerstone. ²¹ In union with him the whole building is joined together and rises into a holy sanctuary for the Lord. ²² You, too, are being built in him, along with the others, into a place for God’s Spirit to dwell.
³ ¹ Paul’s Ministry to the GentilesFor this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of the Messiah Jesus for the sake of you gentiles. ² Surely you have heard about the responsibility of administering God’s grace that was given to me on your behalf, ³ and how this secret was made known to me through a revelation, just as I wrote about briefly in the past. ⁴ By reading this, you will be able to grasp my understanding of the secret about the Messiah, ⁵ which in previous generations was not made known to human beings as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This is that secret: ⁶ The gentiles are heirs-in-common, members-in-common of the body, and common participants in what was promised by the Messiah Jesus through the gospel.
⁷ I have become a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given so that I might proclaim to the gentiles the immeasurable wealth of the Messiah ⁹ and help everyone see how this secret that has been at work was hidden for ages by God, who created all things. ¹⁰ He did this so that now, through the church, the wisdom of God in all its variety might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realm ¹¹ in keeping with the eternal purpose that God carried out through the Messiah Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and confident access through his faithfulness. ¹³ So then, I ask you not to become discouraged because of my troubles on your behalf, which work toward your glory.
¹⁴ To Know the Messiah’s LoveThis is the reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that he would give you, according to his glorious riches, strength in your inner being and power through his Spirit, ¹⁷ and that the Messiah would make his home in your hearts through faith. Then, having been rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ you will be able to understand, along with all the saints, what is wide, long, high, and deep— ¹⁹ that is, you will know the love of the Messiah— which transcends knowledge, and will be filled with all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among us— ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in the Messiah Jesus to all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
⁴ ¹ The Messiah’s Gifts to the ChurchI, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to live in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² demonstrating all expressions of humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another in love. ³ Do your best to maintain the unity of the Spirit by means of the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit. Likewise, you were called to the one hope of your calling. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in all.
⁷ Now to each one of us grace has been given proportionate to the measure of the Messiah’s gift. ⁸ That is why God says, “When he went up to the highest place, he led captives into captivity and gave gifts to people.”
⁹ Now what does this “he went up” mean except that he also had gone down into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ The one who went down is the same one who went up above all the heavens so that all things would be fulfilled. ¹¹ And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints, to do the work of ministry, and to build up the body of the Messiah ¹³ until all of us are united in the faith and in the full knowledge of God’s Son, and until we attain mature adulthood and the full standard of development in the Messiah. ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be little children, tossed like waves and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, or by clever strategies that would lead us astray. ¹⁵ Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah, ¹⁶ in whom the whole body is united and held together by every ligament with which it is supplied. As each individual part does its job, the body builds itself up in love.
¹⁷ The Old Life and the NewTherefore, I tell you and insist on in the Lord not to live any longer like the gentiles live, thinking worthless thoughts. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. ¹⁹ Since they have lost all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to sensuality and practice every kind of sexual perversion without restraint. ²⁰ However, that is not the way you came to know the Messiah. ²¹ Surely you have listened to him and have been taught by him, since truth is in Jesus. ²² Regarding your former way of life, you were taught to strip off your old nature, which is being ruined by its deceptive desires, ²³ to be renewed in your mental attitude, ²⁴ and to clothe yourselves with the new nature, which was created according to God’s image in righteousness and true holiness.
²⁵ Therefore, stripping off falsehood, “let each of us speak the truth to his neighbor,” for we belong to one another. ²⁶ “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil an opportunity to work. ²⁸ The thief must no longer steal but must work hard and do what is good with his own hands, so that he might earn something to give to the needy.
²⁹ Let no filthy talk be heard from your mouths, but only what is good for building up people and meeting the need of the moment. This way you will administer grace to those who hear you. ³⁰ Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, quarreling, and slander be put away from you, along with all hatred. ³² And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another just as God has forgiven you in the Messiah.
⁵ ¹ So be imitators of God, as his dear children. ² Live lovingly, just as the Messiah also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God. ³ Do not let sexual sin, impurity of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints. ⁴ Obscene, flippant, or vulgar talk is totally inappropriate. Instead, let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you know very well that no immoral or impure person, or anyone who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.
⁶ Living in the LightDo not let anyone deceive you with meaningless words, for it is because of these things that God becomes angry with those who disobey. ⁷ So do not be partners with them. ⁸ For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, ⁹ for the fruit that the light produces consists of every form of goodness, righteousness, and truth. ¹⁰ Determine what pleases the Lord, ¹¹ and have nothing to do with the unfruitful actions that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. ¹² For it is shameful even to mention what is done by these disobedient people in secret. ¹³ But everything that is exposed to the light becomes visible, ¹⁴ for the light is making everything visible. That is why it says, “Wake up, sleeper! Arise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you.’’
¹⁵ Wise BehaviorSo, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of your time because the times are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹ Then you will recite to one another psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; you will sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts; ²⁰ you will consistently give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah; ²¹ and you will submit to one another out of reverence for the Messiah.
²² Wives and HusbandsWives, submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of his wife as the Messiah is the head of the church. It is he who is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ Indeed, just as the church is submissive to the Messiah, so wives must be submissive to their husbands in everything.
²⁵ Husbands, love your wives as the Messiah loved the church and gave himself for it, ²⁶ so that he might make it holy by cleansing it, washing it with water and the word, ²⁷ and might present the church to himself in all its glory, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, but holy and without fault. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one has ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, as the Messiah does the church.
³⁰ For we are parts of his body—of his flesh and of his bones. ³¹ “That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³² This is a great secret, but I am talking about the Messiah and the church. ³³ But each individual man among you must love his wife as he loves himself; and may the wife fear her husband.
⁶ ¹ Advice for Children and ParentsChildren, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ² “Honor your father and mother…” (This is a very important commandment with a promise.) ³ “…so that it may go well for you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.”
⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up by training and instructing them about the Lord.
⁵ Advice for Slaves and MastersSlaves, obey your earthly masters with fear, trembling, and sincerity, as when you obey the Messiah. ⁶ Do not do this only while you’re being watched in order to please them, but be like slaves of the Messiah, who are determined to obey God’s will. ⁷ Serve willingly, as if you were serving the Lord and not merely people, ⁸ because you know that everyone will receive a reward from the Lord for whatever good he has done, whether he is a slave or free.
⁹ Masters, treat your slaves the same way. Do not threaten them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
¹⁰ Putting on the Whole Armor of GodFinally, be strong in the Lord, relying on his mighty strength. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the devil’s strategies. ¹² For our struggle is not against human opponents, but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers in the darkness around us, and evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm. ¹³ For this reason, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to take a stand whenever evil comes. And when you have done everything you could, you will be able to stand firm.
¹⁴ Stand firm, therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and being firm-footed in the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to having clothed yourselves with these things, having taken up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one, ¹⁷ also take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request. Likewise, be alert with your most diligent efforts and pray for all the saints. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, so that, when I begin to speak, the right words will come to me. Then I will boldly make known the secret of the gospel, ²⁰ for whose sake I am an ambassador in chains, desiring to declare the gospel as boldly as I should.
²¹ Final GreetingSo that you may know what has happened to me and how I am doing, Tychicus, our dear brother and a faithful minister in service to the Lord, will tell you everything. ²² I am sending him to you for this very reason, so that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts.
²³ May peace and love, with faith, be with the brothers, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah!
²⁴ May grace be with all who sincerely love the Lord Jesus, the Messiah!

Philippians

¹ ¹ Greetings from Paul and TimothyFrom: Paul and Timothy, servants of the Messiah Jesus.
To: All the holy ones in Philippi, along with their overseers and ministers, who are in union with the Messiah Jesus.
² May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours!
³ Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the PhilippiansI thank my God every time I remember you, ⁴ always praying joyfully in every one of my prayers for all of you ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶ I am convinced of this, that the one who began a good action among you will bring it to completion by the Day of the Messiah Jesus. ⁷ For it is only right for me to think this way about all of you, because you’re constantly on my mind. Both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, all of you are partners with me in this privilege. ⁸ For God is my witness how much I long for all of you with the compassion that the Messiah Jesus provides.
⁹ And this is my prayer, that your love will keep on growing more and more with full knowledge and insight, ¹⁰ so that you may be able to choose what is best and be pure and blameless until the day when the Messiah returns, ¹¹ having been filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus the Messiah so that God will be glorified and praised.
¹² The Priority of the Gospel in EverythingNow I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually caused the gospel to advance. ¹³ As a result, it has become clear to the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that I am in prison for preaching about the Messiah. ¹⁴ Moreover, because of my imprisonment the Lord has caused most of the brothers to become confident to speak God’s word more boldly and courageously than ever before. ¹⁵ Some are preaching the Messiah because of jealousy and dissension, while others do so because of their good will. ¹⁶ The latter are motivated by love, because they know that I have been appointed to defend the gospel. ¹⁷ The former proclaim the Messiah because they are selfishly ambitious and insincere, thinking that they will stir up trouble for me during my imprisonment.
¹⁸ But so what? Just this—that in every way, whether by false or true motives, the Messiah is being proclaimed. Because of this, I rejoice and will continue to rejoice. ¹⁹ I know that this will result in my deliverance through your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Jesus the Messiah. ²⁰ I rejoice because I eagerly expect and hope that I will have nothing to be ashamed of, because through my boldness the Messiah will be exalted through me, now as always, whether I live or die.
²¹ For to me, to go on living is the Messiah, and to die is gain. ²² Now if I continue living, fruitful labor is the result, so I do not know which I would prefer. ²³ Indeed, I cannot decide between the two. I have the desire to leave this life and be with the Messiah, for that is far better. ²⁴ But for your sake it is better that I remain alive.
²⁵ Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will continue to live and be with all of you, so you will mature in the faith and know joy in it. ²⁶ Then your rejoicing in the Messiah Jesus will increase along with mine when I visit with you again.
²⁷ Standing Firm in One SpiritThe only thing that matters is that you continue to live as good citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel of the Messiah. Then, whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I may hear all about you—that you are standing firm in one spirit, struggling with one mind for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and that you are not intimidated by your opponents in any way. This is evidence that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved—and all because of God. ²⁹ For you have been given the privilege for the Messiah’s sake not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. ³⁰ You have the same struggle that you saw in me and now hear that I am still having.
² ¹ Unity through HumilityTherefore, if there is any encouragement in the Messiah, if there is any comfort of love, if there is any fellowship in the Spirit, if there is any compassion and sympathy, ² then fill me with joy by having the same attitude, sharing the same love, being united in spirit, and keeping one purpose in mind. ³ Do not act out of selfish ambition or conceit, but with humility think of others as being better than yourselves. ⁴ Do not be concerned about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others. ⁵ Have the same attitude among yourselves that was also in the Messiah Jesus: ⁶ In God’s own form existed he, and shared with God equality, deemed nothing needed grasping. ⁷ Instead, poured out in emptiness, a servant’s form did he possess, a mortal man becoming. In human form he chose to be, ⁸ and lived in all humility, death on a cross obeying. ⁹ Now lifted up by God to heaven, a name above all others given, this matchless name possessing. ¹⁰ And so, when Jesus’ name is called, the knees of everyone should fall, wherever they’re residing. ¹¹ Then every tongue in one accord, will say that Jesus the Messiah is Lord, while God the Father praising.
¹² Blameless LivingAnd so, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only when I was with you but even more now that I am absent, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. ¹³ For it is God who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases him. ¹⁴ Do everything without complaining or arguing ¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and innocent, God’s children without any faults among a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. Then I will be proud when the Messiah returns that I did not run in vain or work hard in vain.
¹⁷ Yet even if I am being poured out like an offering as part of the sacrifice and service I offer for your faith, I rejoice, and I share my joy with all of you. ¹⁸ In the same way, you also should rejoice and share your joy with me.
¹⁹ News about Paul’s CompanionsNow I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I can be encouraged when I learn of your condition. ²⁰ I do not have anyone else like him who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. ²¹ For all the others look after their own interests, not after those of Jesus the Messiah. ²² But you know his proven worth—how like a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. ²³ Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things are going to turn out for me. ²⁴ Indeed, I am confident in the Lord that I will come to visit you soon.
²⁵ Meanwhile, I thought it best to send Epaphroditus—my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need—back to you. ²⁶ For he has been longing for all of you and is troubled because you heard that he was sick. ²⁷ Indeed, he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow on top of another. ²⁸ Therefore, I am especially eager to send him so that you may have the joy of seeing him again, and so that I may feel relieved. ²⁹ So joyfully welcome him in the Lord and make sure you honor such people highly, ³⁰ because he came close to death for the work of the Messiah by risking his life to complete what remained unfinished in your service to me.
³ ¹ Warning against PrideSo then, my brothers, keep on rejoicing in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you; indeed, it is for your safety.
² Beware of the dogs! Beware of the evil workers! Beware of the mutilators! ³ For it is we who are the circumcision—we who worship in the Spirit of God and find our joy in the Messiah Jesus. We have not placed any confidence in the flesh, ⁴ although I could have confidence in the flesh. If anyone thinks he can place confidence in the flesh, I have more reason to think so. ⁵ Having been circumcised on the eighth day, I am of the nation of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. As far as the Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee. ⁶ As for my zeal, I was a persecutor of the church. As far as righteousness in the Law is concerned, I was blameless.
⁷ But whatever things were assets to me, these I now consider a loss for the sake of the Messiah. ⁸ What is more, I continue to consider all these things to be a loss for the sake of what is far more valuable, knowing the Messiah Jesus, my Lord. It is because of him that I have experienced the loss of all those things. Indeed, I consider them rubbish in order to gain the Messiah ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but one that comes through the faithfulness of the Messiah, the righteousness that comes from God and that depends on faith. ¹⁰ I want to know the Messiah—what his resurrection power is like and what it means to share in his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ though I hope to experience the resurrection from the dead.
¹² Pursuing the GoalIt’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already become perfect. But I keep pursuing it, hoping somehow to embrace it just as I have been embraced by the Messiah Jesus. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself to have embraced it yet. But this one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I keep pursuing the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly call in the Messiah Jesus.
¹⁵ Therefore, those of us who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will show you how to think. ¹⁶ However, we should live up to what we have achieved so far.
¹⁷ True and False TeachersJoin together in imitating me, brothers, and pay close attention to those who live by the example we have set for you. ¹⁸ For I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of the Messiah. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on worldly things.
²⁰ Our citizenship, however, is in heaven, and it is from there that we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. ²¹ He will change our unassuming bodies and make them like his glorious body through the power that enables him to bring everything under his authority.
⁴ ¹ Closing ExhortationsTherefore, my dear brothers whom I long for, my joy and my victor’s crown, this is how you must stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. ² I urge Euodia and Syntyche to have the same attitude in the Lord. ³ Yes, I also ask you, my true partner, to help these women. They have worked hard with me to advance the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
⁴ Keep on rejoicing in the Lord at all times. I will say it again: Keep on rejoicing! ⁵ Let your gracious attitude be known to all people. The Lord is near: ⁶ Never worry about anything. Instead, in every situation let your petitions be made known to God through prayers and requests, with thanksgiving. ⁷ Then God’s peace, which goes far beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your hearts and minds in union with the Messiah Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—keep thinking about these things. ⁹ Likewise, keep practicing these things: what you have learned, received, heard, and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.
¹⁰ The Philippians’ GiftsNow I rejoice in the Lord greatly, because once again you have shown your concern for me. Of course, you were concerned for me but you did not have an opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. ¹² I know how to be humble, and I know how to prosper. In each and every situation I have learned the secret of being full and of going hungry, of having too much and of having too little. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, it was kind of you to share my troubles.
¹⁵ You Philippians also know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church participated with me in the matter of giving and receiving except for you. ¹⁶ Even while I was in Thessalonica, you provided for my needs not once, but twice. ¹⁷ It is not that I am looking for a gift. No, I want to see that you receive the fruit that increases to your benefit. ¹⁸ I have been paid in full and have more than enough. I am fully supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus what you sent—a fragrant aroma, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in the Messiah Jesus. ²⁰ Glory belongs to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen.
²¹ Final GreetingGreet every saint who is in union with the Messiah Jesus. The brothers who are with me send their greetings to you. ²² All the saints, especially those of the emperor’s household, greet you.
²³ May the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be with your spirit! Amen.

Colossians

¹ ¹ Greetings from PaulFrom: Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.
² To: The holy and faithful brothers in Colossae who are in union with the Messiah.
May grace and peace from God our Father be yours!
³ Paul’s Prayer for the ColossiansWe give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, praying always for you, ⁴ because we have heard about your faith in the Messiah Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵ based on the hope laid up for you in heaven. Some time ago you heard about this hope through the word of truth, the gospel ⁶ that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and spreading all over the world, so it has been doing among you from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth. ⁷ You learned about this gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of the Messiah on your behalf. ⁸ He has told us about your love in the Spirit.
⁹ The Messiah is Above AllFor this reason, since the day we heard about this, we have not stopped praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the full knowledge of God’s will with respect to all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you might live in a manner worthy of the Lord and be fully pleasing to him as you bear fruit while doing all kinds of good things and growing in the full knowledge of God. ¹¹ You are being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, so that you might patiently endure everything with joy ¹² and might thank the Father, who has enabled us to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. ¹³ God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom he loves, ¹⁴ through whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
¹⁵ The Centrality of JesusThe Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether they are kings, lords, rulers, or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He himself existed before anything else did, and he holds all things together. ¹⁸ He is also the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself might have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all of his divine essence inhabit him. ²⁰ Through the Son, God also reconciled all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, thereby making peace through the blood of his cross.
²¹ You who were once alienated with a hostile attitude, doing evil, ²² he has now reconciled by the death of his physical body, so that he may present you holy, blameless, and without fault before him. ²³ However, you must remain firmly established and steadfast in the faith, without being moved from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
²⁴ Paul’s Service in the ChurchNow I am rejoicing while suffering for you as I complete in my flesh whatever remains of the Messiah’s sufferings on behalf of his body, which is the church. ²⁵ I became its servant as God commissioned me to work for you, so that I may complete my ministry of the word of God. ²⁶ This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints, ²⁷ to whom God wanted to make known the glorious riches of this secret among the gentiles—which is the Messiah in you, our glorious hope. ²⁸ It is he whom we proclaim as we admonish and wisely teach everyone, so that we may present everyone mature in the Messiah. ²⁹ I work hard and struggle to do this, using the energy that he powerfully provides in me.
² ¹ For I want you to know how much I struggle for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have never seen me face to face. ² Because they are united in love, I pray that their hearts may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of the full knowledge of the Messiah, who is the mystery of God. ³ In him are stored all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I say this so that no one will mislead you with nice-sounding rhetoric. ⁵ For although I am physically absent, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how stable you are and how firm your faith in the Messiah is.
⁶ Fullness of LifeSo then, just as you have received the Messiah Jesus the Lord, continue to live dependent on him. ⁷ For you have been rooted in him and are being built up and strengthened in the faith, just as you were taught, while you continue to be thankful. ⁸ See to it that no one enslaves you through philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to the Messiah, ⁹ because all the essence of deity inhabits him in bodily form. ¹⁰ And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. ¹¹ In union with him you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without human hands by stripping off the corrupt nature by the circumcision performed by the Messiah. ¹² When you were buried with the Messiah in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ Even when you were dead because of your offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with him when he forgave us all of our offenses, ¹⁴ having erased the charges that were brought against us, along with their obligations that were hostile to us. He took those charges away when he nailed them to the cross. ¹⁵ And when he had disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross.
¹⁶ Therefore, let no one judge you in matters of food and drink or with respect to a festival, a New Moon, or Sabbath days. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Messiah. ¹⁸ Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels cheat you out of the prize by rejoicing about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up for no reason by his carnal mind. ¹⁹ He does not hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, which is nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God enables it.
²⁰ The New Life in the MessiahIf you have died with the Messiah to the basic principles of the world, why are you submitting to its decrees as though you still lived in the world? ²¹ “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste or touch that!” ²² All of these things will be destroyed as they are used, because they are based on human commands and teachings. ²³ These things have the appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion, humility, and harsh treatment of the body, but they have no value against self-indulgence.
³ ¹ Keep Focusing on the MessiahTherefore, if you have been raised with the Messiah, keep focusing on the things that are above, where the Messiah is seated at the right hand of God. ² Keep your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. ³ For you have died, and your life has been safely guarded by the Messiah in God. ⁴ When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you, too, will be revealed with him in glory.
⁵ So put to death your worldly impulses: sexual sin, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). ⁶ It is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. ⁷ You used to behave like them as you lived among them. ⁸ But now you must also get rid of anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene speech, and all such sins. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old nature with its practices ¹⁰ and have clothed yourselves with the new nature, which is being renewed in full knowledge, consistent with the image of the one who created it. ¹¹ In him there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free person. Instead, the Messiah is all and in all.
¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³ Be tolerant of one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also should forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which ties everything together in unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of the Messiah also rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of the Messiah inhabit you richly with wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and singing to God with thankfulness in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether by speech or action, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
¹⁸ Family DutiesWives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is appropriate for those who belong to the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not make your children resentful. Otherwise, they’ll become discouraged.
²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched in order to please them, but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people. ²⁴ You know that it is from the Lord that you will receive the inheritance as a reward. It is the Lord Messiah whom you are serving! ²⁵ For the person who does what is wrong will be paid back for what he has done without favoritism.
⁴ ¹ Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
² Closing ExhortationsDevote yourselves to prayer. Be alert and thankful when you pray. ³ At the same time also pray for us—that God would open before us a door for the word so that we may tell the secret about the Messiah, for which I have been imprisoned. ⁴ May I reveal it as clearly as I should!
⁵ Behave wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of your time. ⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.
⁷ Greetings from Paul and His Fellow WorkersTychicus will tell you everything that has happened to me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord. ⁸ I am sending him to you for this very reason, so that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts. ⁹ He is coming with Onesimus, that faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
¹⁰ Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have received instructions about him. If he comes to you, welcome him. ¹¹ Jesus, who is called Justus, also greets you. These are the only ones of the circumcision who are fellow workers for the kingdom of God. They have been an encouragement to me. ¹² Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of the Messiah Jesus, sends you his greetings. He is always wrestling in his prayers for you, so that you may stand mature, completely convinced of the entire will of God. ¹³ For I can testify on his behalf that he has a deep concern for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. ¹⁴ Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. ¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, especially to Nympha and the church that is in her house. ¹⁶ When this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and be sure to read the one from Laodicea. ¹⁷ Tell Archippus, “See that you complete the ministry you have received from the Lord.”
¹⁸ Final GreetingThis greeting is written with my own signature—“Paul.” Remember that I remain imprisoned. May grace be with you! Amen.

1 Thessalonians

¹ ¹ GreetingsFrom: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.
To: The church of the Thessalonians in union with God the Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.
May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours!
² Paul’s Prayer for the ThessaloniansWe always thank God for all of you when we mention you in our prayers. ³ In the presence of our God and Father, we constantly remember how your faith is active, your love is hard at work, and your hope in our Lord Jesus the Messiah is enduring. ⁴ Brothers whom God loves, we know that he has chosen you, ⁵ for the gospel we brought did not come to you in words only, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. Indeed, you know what kind of people we proved to be while we were with you, acting on your behalf.
⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord. In spite of a great deal of suffering, you welcomed the word with the joy that the Holy Spirit produces. ⁷ As a result, you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ From you the word of the Lord has spread out not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place where your faith in God has become known. As a result, we do not need to say anything about it.
⁹ For people keep telling us what kind of welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve a living and true God ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son whom he raised from the dead to come back from heaven. This Jesus is the one who rescues us from the coming wrath.
² ¹ Paul Recalls His Visit to the ThessaloniansFor you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a waste of time. ² As you know, we suffered persecution and were mistreated in Philippi. Yet we were encouraged by our God to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. ³ For our appeal to you does not spring from deceit, impure motives, or trickery. ⁴ Rather, because we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, we speak as we do, not trying to please people but God, who tests our motives.
⁵ As you know, we did not come with flattering words or with a scheme to make money. God is our witness! ⁶ We did not seek praise from people—from you or from anyone else— ⁷ even though as apostles of the Messiah we might have made such demands. Instead, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children. ⁸ We cared so deeply for you that we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but our very lives. That is how dear you were to us. ⁹ Brothers, you remember our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not become a burden to any of you while we proclaimed the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰ You and God are witnesses of how pure, honest, and blameless our conduct was among you who believe. ¹¹ You know very well that we treated each of you the way a father treats his children. ¹² We comforted and encouraged you, urging you to live in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
¹³ How the Thessalonians Welcomed the GospelHere is another reason why we constantly give thanks to God: When you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you did not accept it as the word of humans but for what it really is—the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in union with the Messiah Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from the people of your own country as they did from those Jews ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, who have persecuted us, and who please neither God nor any group of people, ¹⁶ as they try to keep us from telling the gentiles how they can be saved. As a result, they are constantly adding to the number of sins they have committed. However, wrath has overtaken them at last!
¹⁷ Timothy’s Report to PaulBrothers, although we have been separated from you for a little while—in person but not in heart—we eagerly desire to see you again face to face. ¹⁸ That is why we wanted to come to you. Certainly I, Paul, wanted to come time and again, but Satan blocked our way. ¹⁹ After all, who is our hope, joy, or reason for rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? It is you, isn’t it? ²⁰ Yes, you are our glory and joy!
³ ¹ Therefore, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to remain alone in Athens ² and send Timothy, our brother who works with us for God in the gospel of the Messiah, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ³ so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions, for which you are aware that we were destined. ⁴ In fact, when we were with you, we told you ahead of time that we were going to suffer persecution. And as you know, that is what happened. ⁵ But when I could stand it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out about your faith. I was afraid that the tempter had tempted you in some way, and that our work had been a waste of time.
⁶ Paul Rejoices about the ThessaloniansBut Timothy has just now returned from visiting you and has told us the good news about your faith and love. He also told us that you always have fond memories of us and want to see us, just as we want to see you. ⁷ That’s why, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you by your faith. ⁸ For now we can go on living, as long as you continue to stand firm in the Lord. ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we have in God’s presence because of you? ¹⁰ We pray very hard night and day that we may see you again face to face, so that we may equip you with whatever is lacking in your faith.
¹¹ Now may our God and Father and our Lord Jesus provide a way for us to visit you. ¹² May the Lord greatly increase your love for each other and for all people, just as we love you. ¹³ Then your hearts will be strong, blameless, and holy in the presence of God, who is our Father, when our Lord Jesus appears with all his saints.
⁴ ¹ Instructions on the Way Christians Should LiveNow then, brothers, you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, as in fact you are doing. We ask and encourage you in the Lord to do so even more. ² You know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³ For it is God’s will that you be sanctified: You must abstain from sexual immorality. ⁴ Each of you must know how to control his own body in a holy and honorable manner, ⁵ not with passion and lust like the gentiles who do not know God. ⁶ Furthermore, you must never take advantage of or exploit a brother in this regard, because the Lord avenges all these things, just as we already told you and warned you. ⁷ For God did not call us to be impure, but to be holy. ⁸ Therefore, whoever rejects this instruction is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
⁹ Now you do not need anyone to write to you about brotherly love, since you have been taught by God to love each other. ¹⁰ In fact, you are showing love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers, to keep on doing this even more. ¹¹ Also, make it your goal to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you, ¹² so that you may win the respect of outsiders, and have need of nothing.
¹³ Comfort about Christians who Have DiedBut we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve like other people who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus God will bring those who have died with him. ¹⁵ For we declare to you what the Lord has told us to say: We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have died. ¹⁶ With a shout of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of God’s trumpet, the Lord himself will come down from heaven, and the dead who belong to the Messiah will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So then, encourage one another with these words.
⁵ ¹ Be Ready for the Day of the LordNow you do not need to have anything written to you about times and dates, brothers, ² for you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ When people say, “There is peace and security,” destruction will strike them as suddenly as labor pains come to a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape.
⁴ However, brothers, you are not in the darkness, in order that the Day of the Lord might surprise you like a thief. ⁵ For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness. ⁶ Therefore, let’s not fall asleep like others do, but let’s stay awake and be sober. ⁷ For people who go to sleep, go to sleep at night; and people who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober. We must put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹ For God has not destined us to receive wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, ¹⁰ who died for us in order that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. ¹¹ So then, encourage one another and build each other up, as you are doing.
¹² Paul Gives Final Instructions to the ChurchBrothers, we ask you to show your appreciation for those who work among you, set an example for you in the Lord, and instruct you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard, loving them because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ We urge you, brothers, to admonish those who are idle, cheer up those who are discouraged, and help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Instead, always pursue what is good for each other and for everyone else. ¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Continually be prayerful. ¹⁸ In everything be thankful, because this is God’s will for you in the Messiah Jesus. ¹⁹ Do not put out the Spirit’s fire. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good. ²² Keep away from every kind of evil.
²³ Final GreetingMay the God of peace himself make you holy in every way. And may your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—remain blameless when our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, appears. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will continue to be faithful. ²⁵ Brothers, pray for us. ²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I order you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. ²⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be with you! Amen.

2 Thessalonians

¹ ¹ GreetingsFrom: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.
To: The church of the Thessalonians in union with God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.
² May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours!
³ Endurance in AfflictionBrothers, at all times we are obligated to thank God for you. It is right to do this because your faith is growing all the time and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. ⁴ As a result, we rejoice about you among God’s churches—about your endurance and faith through all the persecutions and afflictions you are experiencing. ⁵ This is evidence of God’s righteous judgment and is intended to make you worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you are suffering. ⁶ Certainly it is right for God to pay back those who afflict you with affliction, ⁷ and to give us who are afflicted relief when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels ⁸ in blazing fire. He will take revenge on those who do not know God and on those who refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ Such people will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction by being separated from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious power ¹⁰ when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be regarded with wonder on that day by all who have believed—including you, because you believed our testimony.
¹¹ With this in mind, we always pray for you, asking that our God might make you worthy of his calling and that through his power he might help you accomplish every good desire and faithful action. ¹² That way the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus, the Messiah.
² ¹ The Lawless OneNow we ask you, brothers, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and our gathering together to him, ² not to be so quickly upset or alarmed when someone claims that we said, either by some spirit, conversation, or letter that the Day of the Lord has already come. ³ Do not let anyone deceive you in any way, for it will not come unless the rebellion takes place first and the man of sin, who is destined for destruction, is revealed. ⁴ He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship. As a result, he seats himself in the sanctuary of God and himself declares that he is God.
⁵ Don’t you remember that I repeatedly told you about these things when I was still with you? ⁶ You know what it is that is now holding him back, so that he will be revealed when his time comes. ⁷ For the secret of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the person now holding it back gets out of the way. ⁸ Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will destroy with the breath of his mouth, rendering him powerless by the manifestation of his coming.
⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the power of Satan. He will use every kind of power, including miraculous signs, lying wonders, ¹⁰ and every type of evil to deceive those who are dying, those who refused to love the truth that would save them. ¹¹ For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. ¹² Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.
¹³ At all times we are obligated to thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God chose you to be the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through faith in the truth. ¹⁴ With this purpose in mind, he called you through our proclamation of the gospel so that you would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. ¹⁵ So then, brothers, stand firm, and cling to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. ¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus, the Messiah himself, and may God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good action and word.
³ ¹ An Example to FollowFinally, brothers, pray for us—that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly, and that it may be honored the way it is among you. ² Also pray that we may be rescued from worthless and evil people, since not everyone holds to the faith. ³ But the Lord is faithful and will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. ⁴ We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. ⁵ May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of the Messiah.
⁶ In the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is living in idleness and not living according to the tradition that they received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know what you must do to imitate us. We never lived in idleness among you. ⁸ We did not eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, with toil and labor we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you. ⁹ It is not as though we did not have that right, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. ¹⁰ While we were with you, we gave this order: “If anyone doesn’t want to work, he shouldn’t eat.”
¹¹ We hear that some of you are living in idleness. You are not busy working—you are busy interfering in other people’s lives! ¹² We order and encourage such people by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. ¹³ Brothers, do not get tired of doing what is right.
¹⁴ If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of him. Have nothing to do with him so that he will feel ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet, don’t treat him like an enemy, but warn him like a brother. ¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace give you his peace at all times and in every way. May the Lord be with all of you.
¹⁷ Final GreetingI, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine. It is the way I write. ¹⁸ May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be with all of you. Amen.

1 Timothy

¹ ¹ GreetingsFrom: Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus, by the command of God our Savior and the Messiah Jesus, our hope. ² To: Timothy, my genuine child in the faith.
May grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Messiah Jesus, our Lord, be yours!
³ A Warning against False TeachersWhen I was on my way to Macedonia, I urged you to stay in Ephesus so that you could instruct certain people to stop teaching false doctrine ⁴ and occupying themselves with myths and endless genealogies. These things promote controversies rather than God’s ongoing purpose, which involves faith. ⁵ The goal of this instruction is love that flows from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith. ⁶ Some people have left these qualities behind and have turned to fruitless discussion. ⁷ They want to be teachers of the Law, yet they do not understand either what they are talking about or the things about which they speak so confidently.
⁸ Of course, we know that the Law is good if a person uses it legitimately, ⁹ that is, if he understands that the Law is not intended for righteous people but for lawbreakers and rebels, for ungodly people and sinners, for those who are unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers, their mothers, or other people, ¹⁰ for those involved in sexual immorality, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for false witnesses, and for whatever else goes against the healthy teaching ¹¹ that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
¹² I thank the Messiah Jesus, our Lord, who gives me strength, that he has considered me faithful and has appointed me to his service. ¹³ In the past I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. But I received mercy because I acted ignorantly in my unbelief, ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord overflowed toward me, along with the faith and love that are in the Messiah Jesus. ¹⁵ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves complete acceptance: To this world Messiah came, sinful people to reclaim. I am the worst of them. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the worst sinner, the Messiah Jesus might demonstrate all of his patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King Eternal—the immortal, invisible, and only God—be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.
¹⁸ Guidelines for Behavior in the ChurchTimothy, my child, I am instructing you in keeping with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may continue to fight the good fight ¹⁹ with faith and a good conscience. By ignoring their consciences, some people have destroyed their faith like a wrecked ship. ²⁰ These include Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I handed over to Satan so that they may learn not to blaspheme.
² ¹ Prayer and Submission to AuthorityFirst of all, then, I urge you to offer to God petitions, prayers, intercessions, and expressions of thanks for all people, ² for kings, and for everyone who has authority, so that we might lead a quiet and peaceful life with all godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to know the truth fully. ⁵ There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and human beings—a human, the Messiah Jesus. ⁶ He gave himself as a ransom for everyone, the testimony at the proper time. ⁷ For this reason I was appointed to be an announcer, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the gentiles. (I am telling you the truth. I am not lying.)
⁸ Instructions to Men and WomenTherefore, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without being angry or argumentative. ⁹ Women, for their part, should display their beauty by dressing modestly and decently in appropriate clothes, not with elaborate hairstyles or by wearing gold, pearls, or expensive clothes, ¹⁰ but through good actions. This is proper for women who claim to revere God.
¹¹ Let a woman learn with a quiet spirit, and submissively. ¹² Moreover, in the area of teaching, I am not allowing a woman to instigate conflict toward a man. Instead, she is to remain calm. ¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve, ¹⁴ and it was not Adam who was deceived. It was the woman who was deceived and became disobedient, ¹⁵ even though she will be saved through the birth of the Child, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, along with good judgment.
³ ¹ Qualifications for Leaders in the ChurchThis is a trustworthy saying: The one who would an elder be, a noble task desires he. ² Therefore, an elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, stable, sensible, respectable, hospitable to strangers, and teachable. ³ He must not drink excessively or be a violent person, but instead be gentle. He must not be argumentative or love money. ⁴ He must manage his own family well and have children who are submissive and respectful in every way. ⁵ For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church? ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, so that he won’t become arrogant and fall into the devil’s condemnation. ⁷ He must be well thought of by outsiders, so he doesn’t fall into disgrace and the trap set for him by the devil.
⁸ Ministers, too, must be serious. They must not be two-faced, addicted to wine, or greedy for money. ⁹ They must hold firmly to the secret of the faith with clear consciences. ¹⁰ But they must first be tested. Then, if they prove to be blameless, they may become ministers. ¹¹ Their wives must also be serious. They must not be gossips, but instead be stable and trustworthy in everything. ¹² Ministers must be husbands of one wife and must manage their children and their families well. ¹³ Those ministers who serve well gain an excellent reputation for themselves and will have great assurance by their faith in the Messiah Jesus.
¹⁴ I hope to come to you soon. However, I’m writing this to you ¹⁵ in case I am delayed, so that you may know how to behave in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶ By common confession, the secret of our godly worship is great: In flesh was he revealed to sight, kept righteous by the Spirit’s might, adored by angels singing. To nations was he manifest, believing souls found peace and rest, our Lord in heaven reigning!
⁴ ¹ A Prophecy about the FutureNow the Spirit says clearly that in the last times some people will abandon the faith by following deceitful spirits, the teachings of demons, ² and the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences have been burned by a hot iron. ³ They will try to stop people from marrying and from eating certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For everything God created is good, and nothing should be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
⁶ How to be a Good Servant of the Messiah JesusIf you continue to point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good servant of the Messiah Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and the healthy teaching that you have followed closely. ⁷ Do not have anything to do with godless myths and fables of old women. Instead, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ Physical exercise is of limited value, but Godliness is very dear, a pledge of life, both there and here.
⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves complete acceptance. ¹⁰ To this end we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, that is, of those who believe.
¹¹ These are the things you must insist on and teach. ¹² Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for other believers in your speech, behavior, love, faithfulness, and purity. ¹³ Until I arrive, give your full concentration to the public reading of Scripture, to exhorting, and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy when the elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Think on these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress. ¹⁶ Pay close attention to your life and your teaching. Persevere in these things, because if you do so, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.
⁵ ¹ Treatment of WidowsNever speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers, ² older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters, with absolute purity.
³ Honor widows who have no other family members to care for them. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents, for this is pleasing in God’s sight. ⁵ A woman who has no other family members to care for her and who is left all alone has placed her hope in God and devotes herself to petitions and prayers night and day. ⁶ But the self-indulgent widow is just as good as dead.
⁷ Continue to give these instructions, so that they may be blameless. ⁸ If anyone does not take care of his own relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ⁹ A widow may be put on the widows’ list if she is at least sixty years old and has been the wife of one husband. ¹⁰ She must be well known for her good actions as a woman who has raised children, welcomed strangers, washed the saints’ feet, helped the suffering, and devoted herself to doing good in every way.
¹¹ But do not include younger widows on your list. For whenever their natural desires cause them to lose their devotion to the Messiah, they want to remarry. ¹² They receive condemnation because they have set aside their prior commitment to the Messiah. ¹³ At the same time, they also learn how to be lazy while going from house to house. Not only this, but they even become gossips and keep busy by interfering in other people’s lives, saying things they should not say.
¹⁴ Therefore, I want younger widows to remarry, have children, manage their homes, and not give the enemy any chance to ridicule them. ¹⁵ For some widows have already turned away to follow Satan. ¹⁶ If any woman is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. The church should not be burdened, so it can help those widows who have no other family members to care for them.
¹⁷ Elders and Their DutiesElders who handle their duties well should be considered worthy of double compensation, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox while it is treading out grain,” and, “A worker deserves his pay.” ¹⁹ Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported “by two or three witnesses.” ²⁰ As for those who keep on sinning, rebuke them in front of everyone so that the rest will also be afraid. ²¹ With God as my witness, as well as the Messiah Jesus and the chosen angels, I solemnly call on you to carry out these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing on the basis of partiality. ²² Do not ordain anyone hastily. Do not participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. ²³ Stop drinking only water, but use a little wine for your stomach because of your frequent illnesses.
²⁴ The sins of some people are obvious, leading them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there. ²⁵ In the same way, good actions are obvious, and those that are not cannot remain hidden.
⁶ ¹ Duties of Servants and MastersAll who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their own masters as deserving of the highest respect, so that the name of God and our teaching may not be discredited. ² Moreover, those who have believing masters should be respectful to them, because they are fellow believers. In fact, they must serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dear to them. These are the things you must teach and exhort.
³ Rules for Godly LivingIf anyone teaches false doctrine and refuses to agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and godly teaching, ⁴ he is a conceited person and does not understand anything. He has an unhealthy craving for arguments and debates. This produces jealousy, rivalry, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵ and incessant conflict between people who are depraved in mind and deprived of truth. They think that godliness is a way to make a profit. ⁶ Of course, godliness with contentment does bring a great profit. ⁷ Nothing to this world we bring; from it take we nothing. ⁸ With food to eat and clothes to wear; content we are in everything.
⁹ But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.
¹¹ Advice for TimothyBut you, man of God, must flee from all these things. Instead, you must pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight for the faith. Keep holding on to eternal life, to which you were called and about which you gave a good testimony in front of many witnesses.
¹³ Since you are in the presence of God, who gives life to everything, and in the presence of the Messiah Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, I solemnly charge you ¹⁴ to keep these commands stainlessly and blamelessly until the appearance of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. ¹⁵ At the right time, he will make him known. God is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. ¹⁶ He alone has endless life and lives in inaccessible light. No one has ever seen him, nor can anyone see him. Honor and eternal power belong to him! Amen.
¹⁷ Advice for the WealthyTell those who are rich in this age not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, let them place their confidence in God, who lavishly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ They are to do good, to be rich in good actions, to be generous, and to share. ¹⁹ By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future, so that they can keep their hold on the life that is real.
²⁰ Final GreetingTimothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the pointless discussions and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. ²¹ Although some claim to have it, they have abandoned the faith. May grace be with all of you!