3 John Cross References - MNT

¹ The Elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. ² I pray that you may prosper, beloved, in every way, and be in good health, even as your soul is prospering. ³ For I was glad when brothers came and bore testimony to your truth, as indeed you are passing your life in truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are passing their lives in the truth. ⁵ You are acting faithfully, beloved, in whatever you are doing for the brothers and the strangers. ⁶ They have borne testimony to your love before the church. You will do well to speed them on their way worthily of God; ⁷ since for the sake of the Name they have started out, taking nothing from the Gentiles. ⁸ Hence we ought to support such, so that we may become fellow workers for the truth. ⁹ I have written somewhat to the church; but Diotrephes, who love to take the lead among them, does not receive me. ¹⁰ Do them when I come I will recall to mind the deeds which he is doing, prating against me with wicked words. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to receive the brothers, forbids those that would receive them, and excommunicates them from the church. ¹¹ Do not imitate what is evil, beloved, but that which is good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has never gazed on God. ¹² All men bear testimony to Demetrius, and so does the truth itself. I also bear testimony to him; and you know that my testimony is true. ¹³ I have a great deal to write to you, but I do not want to write you with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I am hoping soon to see you, and then we shall talk face to face. Peace be to you! The friends send their salutation. Salute the friends by name.

¹⁴ "And whoever will not receive you or listen to your words, as you go out from that house or that city, shake off the very dust from your feet.

⁴⁰ "Whoever receives you is receiving me, and he who receives me is receiving Him who sent me.

⁴⁰ "Whoever receives you is receiving me, and he who receives me is receiving Him who sent me. ⁴¹ "Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and whoever receives a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. ⁴² "And whoever gives to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, because he is a disciple, I tell you in solemn truth, he shall not lose his reward.

²⁰ Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, kneeling down and begging a favor of him. ²¹ "What is it you wish?" he said. She answered, "Command that these my two sons may sit upon your right hand and your left in your kingdom." ²² "None of you know what you are asking," said Jesus. "Can you drink the cup which I am about to drink?" "We can," they replied. ²³ My cup you indeed shall drink," he answered, "but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." ²⁴ When the ten heard of this, they were indignant at the two brothers; ²⁵ but Jesus called them to him and said: "You know how the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. ²⁶ "Not so shall it be among you. But whoever among you wishes to become great, shall be your minister, ²⁷ "and whoever wishes to be first among you, shall be your slave; ²⁸ "just as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

⁴ "For they bind heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to move them. ⁵ "For they do all their good deeds to be gazed on of men. They widen their phylacteries, ⁶ "and lengthen the tassels, and are fond of the best places at banquets, and the front seats in the synagogues. ⁷ "They enjoy salutations in the market-places, and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' ⁸ "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi'; for one is your Teacher, and you are all brothers;

⁴⁵ "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent slave, to whom his master has entrusted his household, to give them their food in due season?

²¹ "'Well done, good and faithful slave,' replied his master; 'You have been faithful over many things. Enter into your master's joy.' ²² "The second, who had received the two talents, came up and said: "'Master, it was two talents that you entrusted to me; see, I have gained two more.' ²³ "'Well done, good and faithful slave,' his master replied, 'You have been faithful over many things; enter into your master's joy.'

³⁴ But they were silent, for on the road they were disputing together which one was greatest.

³⁷ "Whoever in my name receives one such little child, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me, but Him who sent me."

³⁵ Presently there came up to him James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and said, "Teacher, we wish you would do for us whatever we ask you." ³⁶ "What is it you want me to do for you?" said he. ³⁷ They answered, "Allow us to sit, one at your right hand, and the other at your left hand, in your glory." ³⁸ "You know not what you are asking," said Jesus. "Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" ³⁹ They answered him, "We can." "You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with shall you be baptized, ⁴⁰ but a seat upon my right hand or my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been reserved." ⁴¹ When they heard this the ten began to be indignant at James and John, so Jesus called them to him and said: ⁴² "You know that those who are regarded as rulers among the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make them feel their authority. ⁴³ Not so shall it be among you. On the contrary whoever would become great among you shall be your servant; ⁴⁴ and whoever among you would be first, shall be slave of all, ⁴⁵ and justly, for even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life, a ransom for many."

²² "Blessed are you when men shall hate you, And excommunicate you and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil because of the Son of man.

⁴⁸ then he said to them. "Whoever shall receive this little child in my name receives me; and whoever shall receive me receives him that sent me. For it is the lowliest among you all who is great."

⁷ "and he from indoors shall answer. 'Do not pester me. The door is now closed, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give to you.'

⁴² The Lord answered. "Who then is that faithful steward, the wise man whom his Lord will put in charge of the rations in due time?

¹⁰ "The man who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in a very little, is unjust also as much. ¹¹ "If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will trust to you the true riches? ¹² "And if you are not faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?

²⁴ And there arose also a dispute among them as to which of them could be considered the greatest, ²⁵ and he said to them. "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have who have authority over them are called Benefactors. ²⁶ "But you shall not be so. But he who is greater among you let him become like the younger; and he who is leader like him who serves. ²⁷ "For which is greater, he who sits at table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at table? But I am in your midst as one who serves.

²⁰ For every one who practices wrong hates light, and does not come to the light, lest his actions be exposed;

²² This his parents said because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess that he was the Christ, he should be expelled from the synagogue.

³⁴ They answered, "You were wholly born in sins, and do you teach us?" Then they cast him out. ³⁵ Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of man?"

³ "The porter opens the door for him; the sheep listen to his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

²⁷ "My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them and they follow me.

²⁶ If any one is ready to serve me, let him follow me; and where I am there shall my servant be also. If any man is ready to serve me, him will my Father honor.

³⁵ "The Light is among you a little longer," answered Jesus. "Walk while you have the Light, lest darkness overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become Sons of Light."

³⁵ And he who saw it has borne testimony, and his testimony is trustworthy, and he knows that he is telling the truth in order that you may believe.

²⁴ It is this disciple who bears testimony to these facts and who recorded them; and we know that his testimony is true.

⁴¹ So they left Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been deemed worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the Name;

⁴ So those who were scattered abroad were going everywhere preaching the word.

¹⁶ "for I am going to show him all he has to suffer for the sake of my name."

²² "Cornelius," they answered, "a captain, a devout man, and God-fearing, of whom the whole, Jewish nation speaks well, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to listen to your message."

³ So the church saw them off on their journey, and they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria. Here they set forth the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.

²⁹ "that you abstain from food that has been sacrificed to idols, and from tasting blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. Keep yourselves clear from these things and it will be well with you. Farewell."

²⁹ The city was filled with commotion. They rushed like one man into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's companions in travel.

⁴ There accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.

⁵ When, however, our time was up, we left and started on our journey; and all of them, with wives and children, were escorting us on our way until we were out of the city; then, kneeling down on the beach, we prayed,

¹² "And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the Law, well thought of by all the Jews who lived there,

⁸ First I thank my God, through Jesus Christ, for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout all the world. ⁹ God is my witness, to whom I render holy service in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I am ever making mention of you in my prayers,

¹⁰ As for brotherly love, be tenderly affectionate one to another, in honor preferring one another.

²⁴ whenever I go to Spain, I am hoping to see you on my way there, and to be set forward by you on my way there, and to be set forward by you on my journey thither, after I have enjoyed your company for a little while.

¹ I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a minister of the church at Cenchrae. ² I beg you to give her a Christian welcome, as the saints should; and to assist her in any matter in which she may have need of you. For she herself has been made an overseer to many people, including myself. ³ Salute Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow laborers in the cause of Jesus Christ, ⁴ who risked their own lives to save mine; who are thanked not only by me, ⁵ but by all the churches among the Gentiles. Salute likewise the church that meets in their home. Salute Epaenetus, my dearly beloved, the first man in Roman Asia to believe in Christ. ⁶ Salute Mary, who toiled terribly for you; ⁷ and Andronicus and Junia, my kinsfolk and fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, and who became Christians before I did. ⁸ Salute Amplias, my beloved in the Lord; ⁹ and Urbanus, my fellow toiler in Christ; and Stachys, my dear, dear friend. ¹⁰ Salute Apellas, tested and tried in Christ, and the household of Aristobulus, ¹¹ and Herodion, my kinsman. Salute the believing members of the household of Narcissus. ¹² Salute Trypheana and Tryphosa, who are ever toiling in the Lord. Salute dear Persis, who has toiled terribly in the Lord's service. ¹³ Salute Rufus, the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. ¹⁴ Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are associated with them. ¹⁵ Salute Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas, and all the saints associated with them. ¹⁶ Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ salute you.

²³ Gaius, my host, and the host of the church, salutes you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, salutes you, and so does brother Quartus.

¹⁴ I am thankful to God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

⁵ What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Just ministers through whom you have believed, and each doing the work that the Lord gave him. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God made the seed grow. ⁷ So neither is he who planted anything, nor he who watered, but God alone, who is making the seed grow. ⁸ Now, though he who plants and he who waters are one, each will receive his own reward, according to his own service. ⁹ For we are God's fellow workers; and you are God's field, you are God's building.

¹⁴ I am not writing this to shame you, but to admonish you, as my beloved children. ¹⁵ For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ Jesus, you can have but one father. For in Christ Jesus I begot you through the gospel. ¹⁶ I beg you then to imitate my example.

¹ It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and such immorality as is not even among the heathen—that a man has taken his father's wife! ² Yet you are puffed up instead of mourning and removing from among you the man who has done this thing. ³ For I, although absent in body, yet present in spirit, have already passed sentence, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, on him who has done this thing. ⁴ When you are gathered together, and my spirit is with you together with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ I have handed over such a man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

¹² If others share this authority over you, do not I far more? Yet I have not availed myself of it, but am patiently enduring; so that I may not in any way hinder the progress of Christ's gospel. ¹³ You know, do you not, that those who minister in the temple, and those who serve at the altar, get their portion of the sacrifices? ¹⁴ Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. ¹⁵ But for my part, I have never availed myself of any of these rights. I do not say this to bring it about in my own case. I would rather die than let any one make void this boast of mine.

¹⁸ What then is my wage? This, that I can make the gospel free where I carry it; and that I can refrain from using my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

¹ Be imitators of me, as I am an imitator of Christ.

¹⁰ If Timothy come, see to it that he is among you without trepidation; for he is doing the Lord's work, as I am, so let no one disparage him. ¹¹ Whenever he comes to me, send him on his way in peace, for I am expecting him with the other brothers.

¹⁶ I intended to go by you into Macedonia, and to come again to you from Macedonia, and by you to be sent forward on my way to Judea.

¹ So then, as I have this ministry because of God's mercy to me, I do not lose heart. ² I have renounced the hidden things of shame, not spending my life in craftiness, nor adulterating the word of God; but setting forth the truth openly, I strive to commend myself to every man's conscience as in the sight of God. ³ But even if my gospel, too, is "veiled," it is among those who are on the way to perish that it is "veiled."

⁵ It is not myself that I proclaim, but Christ Jesus as Master, and myself that I proclaim, and myself your slave for Jesus' sake.

¹ As a worker with him I beseech you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

² Make room for me in your hearts! I have wronged no man, I have ruined no man, I have defrauded no man. ³ I am not saying this to blame you, for as I have already said, I hold you in my heart to live together and to die together.

⁶ But the God who comforts the down-hearted comforted me by the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not alone by his coming, but also by the comfort you had been to him. For he told me of your eager longing, of your penitence, and of your zeal on my behalf, so that I was happier still.

²³ As for Titus, remember that he is a partner of mine, and is also my associate in labors for you. As for the other brothers, remember that they are delegates from the churches, men in whom Christ is glorified.

¹ Now I Paul, myself, appeal to you by the humble-heartedness and selflessness of Christ—Paul who "in your presence is humble, but bold enough when he is absent"— ² I beseech you, and I say, do not make me show my boldness, when I come in the boldness with which I think I shall show my courage against some who think that I am walking on the low level of the flesh. ³ Though I do walk on the low level of the flesh, I do not make war as the flesh does; ⁴ for the weapons of my warfare are not weapons of the flesh, but mighty for God, in pulling down all fortresses. ⁵ For I pull down imaginations and every crag that lifts itself against the knowledge of God. And I carry every thought away into captivity and subjection to Christ; ⁶ and I am fully prepared to punish every act of disobedience, when once your submission has been put beyond question. ⁷ Look these facts in the face. If any man is fully persuaded as regards himself that he belongs to Christ, let him consider again with himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also am I. ⁸ If, however, I were to boast more loudly concerning the authority which the Lord gave me (not to cast you down, but to build you up), I should have no cause for shame. ⁹ Let it not seem as if I were overawing you with my letters. ¹⁰ "His letters indeed," says one, "are mighty and forcible, but his personality is weak, and his speech contemptible." ¹¹ Let such a man assure himself that my actions, when I am present, will be just like my words in my letters when I am absent.

⁷ Is it a sin, forsooth, that I humbled myself that you might be exalted, in preaching the gospel to you free of cost? ⁸ Other churches I spoiled, and took their wages to do you service. ⁹ Even when I lacked the actual necessities of life while I was with you, I was a burden to no one; for whatever I lacked, the brothers from Macedonia supplied, when they came. So I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

¹³ In what respect, then, were you inferior to the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

² I have said formerly, and I now forewarn you as when I was present the second time, so now when I am absent the second time, so now when I am absent, saying to those who had sinned before, and to all the rest, "If I come again, I will not spare,"

¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not walking a straight path, in the presence of the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all. "If you, although you are a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, why do you try to compel the Gentiles to become Jews?

¹⁹ O my little children, of whom I travail again in birth until Christ be formed within you!

¹⁶ This is my meaning. Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let is do good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of faith.

¹⁵ For this reason I also, from the time when I heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which prevails among you, and your love to all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to praise God for you, whenever I mention you in my prayers.

¹ Learn then to imitate God as his beloved children,

²³ Peace to the brothers and love, with faith from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ in every petition of mine in your behalf I am offering my prayer with joy for your fellowship in forwarding the gospel,

³ Do nothing out of strife, nothing out of vanity, but let each one in true humility consider the others to be of more account than himself. ⁴ Let each have an eye not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

⁴ Let each have an eye not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

²⁷ And indeed he was sick nigh unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also so that I should not have sorrow upon sorrow.

¹⁷ Brothers, be comrades in imitating me, and study those whose life and walk is according to the pattern I have set you.

³ yes, and I beg you also, my true yokefellow, to help them; for these women shared my toil in the furtherance of the gospel, together with Clement, and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.

¹⁴ Notwithstanding, you have acted nobly in making yourselves comrades in my trouble.

⁴ (since I heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love to all the saints) ⁵ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Long ago you heard of this hope in the message which came to you of the truth of the gospel. ⁶ And just as it is spreading through the whole world, bearing fruit and increasing, so also is it among you, from the day in which you heard it, and came truly to know the grace of God, ⁷ as you learned it from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow slave. He is a faithful minister of Jesus Christ in your behalf, ⁸ and it is he who has told me of your love for me in the spirit.

¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord in every kind of pleasing; that you may be fruitful in every kind of good work, and may increase in the knowledge of God;

²⁴ I am now rejoicing in my sufferings on your behalf; and I am filling up in my own body what is yet lacking of the sufferings of Christ in behalf of the church, his Body.

¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word of in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God our Father through him.

¹¹ These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, belonging to the circumcision, who have been any comfort to me.

³ as I call to mind your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of our God and Father. ⁴ For I know, O brothers, beloved of God, that he has chosen you; ⁵ for my gospel did not come to you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. For you know also the manner in which I behaved myself among you for your sakes. ⁶ Moreover, you began to follow the pattern I set you, and the Lord's also, receiving the word with joy in the Holy Spirit, although amid severe persecution.

⁶ Moreover, you began to follow the pattern I set you, and the Lord's also, receiving the word with joy in the Holy Spirit, although amid severe persecution. ⁷ Thus you became a pattern to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ For the word of the Lord has been sounded forth from you, and its sound has been heard not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place where the tidings of your faith toward God have been spread abroad, so that I have no need to speak of it. ⁹ For others, of their own accord, tell about the welcome I had from you, and how you turned to God from your idols, to be slaved of a true and living God, ¹⁰ and to await for the coming of his Son from the heavens, the Son whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, our Deliverer from the wrath to come.

¹² exhorting and imploring and adjuring each one among you to lead a life worthy of the God who called you into his own kingdom and glory. ¹³ For this reason also I am giving continual thanks to God, because when you heard from me the spoken word of God, you received it not as the word of men, but as the word of God (which in truth it is), who himself is effectually at work in you believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers, began to follow the example of the churches of God in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus; and you in your turn suffered at the hands of your fellow citizens persecutions like to those which they endured from the Jews—

¹⁴ For you, brothers, began to follow the example of the churches of God in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus; and you in your turn suffered at the hands of your fellow citizens persecutions like to those which they endured from the Jews—

¹⁹ For what is my hope, or joy? What is the victor's wreath in which I exult? What but your own selves in the presence of our Lord Jesus, at his coming! ²⁰ For you are my pride and my delight.

² I sent Timothy, my brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and to hearten you in your faith.

⁶ But now that Timothy has returned from you to me, and has brought good news of your faith and love, and that you are still holding me in affectionate remembrance, always longing to see me as I also am longing to see you. ⁷ I have been comforted, my brothers, in regard to you, in spite of all my distress and affliction over your faith. ⁸ For now I am really living, if you are standing firm in the Lord. ⁹ For what thanksgiving can I render again to God in your behalf, in return for all the joy which you cause me in the presence of my God?

¹² So that your conduct may be seemly toward those that are without, and that you may not need help from any man.

³ I ought always to thank God for you, brothers, as is fitting because of the abundant growth of your faith and of the overflowing love with which every one of you is filled toward one another.

¹³ But for you, brothers, whom the Lord loves, I ought to give thanks to God continually, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation in consecration of the Spirit and belief of the truth.

² to Timothy, my true son in the faith; Grace, mercy and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ He should also have a good reputation among outsiders, lest he fall into reproach, and into a snare of the devil.

² To Timothy, my beloved child; Grace mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

¹⁰ But you, Timothy, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aims, my faith, patience, love, endurance,

⁷ For indeed a presiding officer, as God's steward, ought to be blameless, not self-willed or quick-tempered, not a drunkard or violent, or greedy of filthy lucre; ⁸ but he must be hospitable, a lover of the good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled. ⁹ He must hold to the faithful word according to the teaching, so that he may be able both to encourage by sound teaching, and to confute our opponents. ¹⁰ For there are many individuals who are unruly, empty talkers and deceivers, particularly those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped; ¹¹ for they upset whole households and, for filthy lucre's sake, teach what they ought not to teach. ¹² By one of their own number, by a prophet of their own, it has been said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons." ¹³ This testimony is true. So rebuke them sharply, ¹⁴ so as to make them sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. ¹⁵ All things are pure to the pure; but to the contaminated and the faithless nothing is pure, nay, their very minds and consciences are tainted. ¹⁶ They profess to know God, but by their deeds they disown him; in that they are detestable, disobedient, and reprobate for good work of any sort.

¹³ Speed Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos, on their journey diligently.

² to my sister Apphia, to my fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church which meets at Philemon's house. From Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy.

⁵ because I am hearing of your love and of the faith which you hold, not only toward the Lord Jesus Christ, but toward all the saints. ⁶ And I pray that your participation may become effectual, as you come to acknowledge every good thing which is in you to Christ. ⁷ For I have great joy and comfort in your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed.

¹⁰ I beseech you for my son, Onesimus, whom I have begotten in these chains.

²⁴ so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

¹² Then do not become slack, but be imitators of those who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises.

¹² Again, above all things, my brothers, swear not at all, neither by the heavens, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath. Let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no," "no," so you will not fall under condemnation.

²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you are struck for a fault, you take it patiently? But if when you are doing well and suffer for it, you always take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

¹¹ Let him turn from evil and do good, Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

¹³ Yet who will harm you if you become zealous for the good?

⁸ Above everything have fervent love to one another; for love veils a multitude of sins.

¹⁰ Whatever the gifts which each has received, use them for one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹ If any one preaches, let him always preach as one who utters God's truth; if any one serves another, let it be with the strength which God supplies; so that in every way God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.

¹⁴ Salute one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ Jesus.

³ For his power divine has granted to us everything needful for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue. ⁴ By these he has granted his promises to us, precious and splendid; so that through them you may become partners of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ⁵ For this very reason do your best to add to your faith manliness, and to manliness knowledge, ⁶ and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control stedfastness, and to stedfastness piety, ⁷ and to piety brotherly love, and to brotherly love, love itself. ⁸ For if these virtues are yours in abounding measure, they render you not idle nor unfruitful, until you come into the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For the man who lacks these virtues is blind, short-sighted, forgetful of his cleansing from his old sins.

¹⁸ But grow continually in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and unto the Day of Eternity, Amen.

²⁹ If you know that he is righteous you know also that every one who habitually practices righteousness has been born of him.

⁶ Whoever continually abides in him does not habitually sin; whoever lives in sin has not seen him, nor come to know him. ⁷ My children, let no one deceive you; he who is working righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. ⁸ He who is committing sin is of the devil, because from the beginning of the devil is sinning. It was for this cause that the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever is a child of God cannot go on sinning, because his seed is abiding in him; and he cannot go on sinning because he is a child of God.

¹⁸ My children, let us not love in word nor in talk, but in deed and in truth.

¹ The Elder to the Elect Lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have come to know the truth. ² I love you for the sake of the truth which is abiding in us and will be with us forever.

² I love you for the sake of the truth which is abiding in us and will be with us forever. ³ Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love. ⁴ I am greatly rejoiced to find some of your children leading their lives in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father.

⁴ I am greatly rejoiced to find some of your children leading their lives in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father. ⁵ And now I am entreating you, Lady, not as though I were writing some new commandment to you, but one which we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. ⁶ And this is love, that we should lead our lives according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should pass your life in love. ⁷ I say this because many deceivers are gone forth into the world, those who deny the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist. ⁸ Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have wrought, but that you receive a full reward. ⁹ Whoever is going ahead, and is not abiding in the teachings of Christ, does not possess God; but he who is abiding in the teaching possesses both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If any one come to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, nor give him any greeting. ¹¹ For the man who greets him shares in his wicked work. ¹² I have many things to write to you, but I would not write them with paper and ink. I hope to come to you and to talk with you face to face, so that your joy may be full.

¹² I have many things to write to you, but I would not write them with paper and ink. I hope to come to you and to talk with you face to face, so that your joy may be full. ¹³ The children of your elect sister send you greeting.

³ For I was glad when brothers came and bore testimony to your truth, as indeed you are passing your life in truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are passing their lives in the truth.

⁴ I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are passing their lives in the truth. ⁵ You are acting faithfully, beloved, in whatever you are doing for the brothers and the strangers.

⁵ You are acting faithfully, beloved, in whatever you are doing for the brothers and the strangers. ⁶ They have borne testimony to your love before the church. You will do well to speed them on their way worthily of God;

⁸ Hence we ought to support such, so that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

¹⁰ Do them when I come I will recall to mind the deeds which he is doing, prating against me with wicked words. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to receive the brothers, forbids those that would receive them, and excommunicates them from the church.

¹² All men bear testimony to Demetrius, and so does the truth itself. I also bear testimony to him; and you know that my testimony is true.

³ You are holding fast, and have borne up for my name's sake, and have not grown weary.

⁹ I know your persecution and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the reviling of those who say that they themselves are Jews, when they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.