# verses

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You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.


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So when you, a mere human, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?


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Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?


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But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.


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To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.


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But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.


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There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;


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All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.


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For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.


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(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.


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They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)


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This will take place on the day when God judges everyone's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.


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an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth —


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you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?


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You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?


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Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.


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If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?


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The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.


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No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God.


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Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge."


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But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)


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Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?"


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Why not say — as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say — "Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is just!


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What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.


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All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."


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"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."


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Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.


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Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.


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But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.


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This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,


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God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood — to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished —


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he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.


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Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the "law" that requires faith.


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since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.


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However, to anyone who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.


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David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:


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Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.


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Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!


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And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.


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And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.


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It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.


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Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.


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As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.


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Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."


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Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah's womb was also dead.


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Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,


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but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness — for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.


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Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,


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through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.


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Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;


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And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.


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Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.


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Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!


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For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!


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Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.


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Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned —


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To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law.


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Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.


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But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!


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Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.


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For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!


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Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all.


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For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.


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The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,


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so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


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We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.


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If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.


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For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin —


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For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.


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Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.


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Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey — whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?


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But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.


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I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.


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What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!


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But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.


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Do you not know, brothers and sisters — for I am speaking to those who know the law — that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives?


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For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.


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So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.


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So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.


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For when we were controlled by our sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.


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But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.


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What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."


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But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.


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For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.


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Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.


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I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.


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Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.


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but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.


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Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.


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because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.


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For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful humanity to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in human flesh,


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in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.


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Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.


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The mind controlled by the sinful nature is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.


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You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature but are in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.


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But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.


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And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.


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Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.


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For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.


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The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Father."


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Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.


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I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.


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For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope


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that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.


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We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.


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Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.


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For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?


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In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.


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And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.


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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.


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For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.


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And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.


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He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?


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Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jesus who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.


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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?


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As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."


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For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,


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neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


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For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,


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the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.


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Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.


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Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."


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In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.


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For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."


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Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad — in order that God's purpose in election might stand:


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For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."


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For Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."


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But who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "


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Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for disposal of refuse?


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What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath — prepared for destruction?


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What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory —


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As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,"


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and, "In the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'children of the living God.' "


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Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.


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It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah."


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What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;


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but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.


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Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.


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As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame."


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Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.


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For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.


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Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.


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Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: "Whoever does these things will live by them."


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But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down)


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But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:


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If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.


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For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.


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For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,


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How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?


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And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"


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But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"


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Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.


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But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."


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Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."


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And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."


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But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."


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I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.


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God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah — how he appealed to God against Israel:


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"Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"?


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And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."


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What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,


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as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day."


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And David says: "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.


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Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.


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But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!


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I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry


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For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?


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If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.


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If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,


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do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.


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Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.


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Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.


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And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.


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After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!


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I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not think you are superior: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,


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and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.


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As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,


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Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience,


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so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you.


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Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!


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Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is true worship.


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Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.


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For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.


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For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,


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We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;


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if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.


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Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior.


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Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.


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On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."


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Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.


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Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.


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For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.


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For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.


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Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.


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This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.


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Give to everyone what you owe: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.


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Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.


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The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."


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And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.


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The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.


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Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.


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Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.


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One person's faith allows them to eat everything, but another person, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.


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The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted that person.


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Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master they stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.


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Some consider one day more sacred than another; others consider every day alike. Everyone should be fully convinced in their own mind.


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Those who regard one day as special do so to the Lord. Those who eat meat do so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and those who abstain do so to the Lord and give thanks to God.


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If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.


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For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.


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You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat your brother or sister with contempt? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.


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It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' "


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Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.


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I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.


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If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother or sister for whom Christ died.


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For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,


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Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.


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It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.


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So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by what they approve.


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But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.


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For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."


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For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.


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May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,


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For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed


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and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name."


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And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope."


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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.


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I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.


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Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me


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to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.


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I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done —


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by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.


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It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation.


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Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand."


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But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you,


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I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.


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For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord's people in Jerusalem.


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They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.


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So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way.


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I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.


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Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord's people there,


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I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.


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They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.


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Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.


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Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.


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Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.


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Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.


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Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord's people who are with them.


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I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.


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For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.


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Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.


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Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.


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Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.


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Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,


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but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to faith and obedience —


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To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours:


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Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.


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He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.


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My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.


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What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."


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(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)


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For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.


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For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.


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For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."


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Where are the wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?


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For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.


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but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.


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For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.


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Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.


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But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.


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God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are,


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It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.


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And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.


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My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power,


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We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.


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No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.


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None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.


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However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived — these things God has prepared for those who love him" —


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for God has revealed them to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.


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For who knows a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit within? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.


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We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.


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This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.


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The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.


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The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,


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I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.


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You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere human beings?


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What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe — as the Lord has assigned to each his task.


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So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.


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The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.


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By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.


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their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work.


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If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved — even though only as one escaping through the flames.


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If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.


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Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become "fools" so that you may become wise.


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For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";


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whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours,


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This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.


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Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of people's hearts. At that time each will receive their praise from God.


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Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.


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For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?


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Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign — and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!


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For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.


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We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!


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To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.


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We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;


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when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world — right up to this moment.


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Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.


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For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.


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But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.


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What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?


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It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man has his father's wife.


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And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?


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For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.


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hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the sinful nature so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.


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Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch — as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.


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Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.


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not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.


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But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with any who claim to be fellow believers but are sexually immoral or greedy, idolaters or slanderers, drunkards or swindlers. With such persons do not even eat.


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If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord's people?


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Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?


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Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church?


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I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?


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The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?


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Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals


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nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.


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And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.


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"I have the right to do anything," you say — but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything" — but I will not be mastered by anything.


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You say, "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both." The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.


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Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!


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Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."


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Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins people commit are outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies.


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Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;


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Now for the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman."


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But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.


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The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.


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Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.


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I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.


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But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.


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To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.


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But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.


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To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.


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And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.


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For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.


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But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.


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How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?


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Nevertheless, each of you should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to you, just as God has called you. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.


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Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.


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Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you — although if you can gain your freedom, do so.


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For those who were slaves when called to faith in the Lord are the Lord's freed people; similarly, those who were free when called are Christ's slaves.


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Brothers and sisters, all of you, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation in which God called you.


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Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.


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Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife.


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But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.


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What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who are married should live as if they were not;


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those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep;


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those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.


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I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs — how he can please the Lord.


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and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world — how she can please her husband.


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I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.


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If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting beyond the usual age for marrying and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married.


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But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin — this man also does the right thing.


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Awoman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.


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In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is — and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.


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Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that "We all possess knowledge." But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.


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So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that "An idol is nothing at all in the world" and that "There is no God but one."


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For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"),


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yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.


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But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.


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Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.


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For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol's temple, won't they be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?


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Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.


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Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?


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Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.


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Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?


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Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk?


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For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned?


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Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when farmers plow and thresh, they should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.


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If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.


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Don't you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?


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In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.


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But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.


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For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!


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If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.


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What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not misuse my rights as a preacher of the gospel.


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Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.


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To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.


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To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.


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To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.


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Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.


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Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.


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No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.


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For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.


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and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.


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Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.


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Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry."


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We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did — and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.


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These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.


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No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.


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Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?


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No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.


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You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.


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"I have the right to do anything," you say — but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything" — but not everything is constructive.


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If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.


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But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience.


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I am referring to the other person's conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another's conscience?


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If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?


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even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.


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I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you.


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But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.


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But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head — it is the same as having her head shaved.


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For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.


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Aman ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.


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It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels.


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If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice — nor do the churches of God.


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In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.


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for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.


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Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!


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For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,


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and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."


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In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."


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So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.


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For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.


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Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.


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Those who are hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.


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You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.


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Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.


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There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.


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To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,


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to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.


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All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.


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Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.


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For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body — whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.


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Now if the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.


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And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.


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If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?


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The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"


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and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,


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while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,


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so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.


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If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.


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And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.


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If I speak in human or angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.


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If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.


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If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body [to hardship] that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.


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It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.


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Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.


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When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.


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For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.


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For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.


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I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. Those who prophesy are greater than those who speak in tongues, unless they interpret, so that the church may be edified.


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Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?


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Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?


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So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.


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If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me.


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So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.


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So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.


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Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can the others, who are now put in the same situation as an inquirer, say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying?


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But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.


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Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.


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In the Law it is written: "With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord."


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Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers.


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So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?


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But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all,


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as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!"


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What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.


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If anyone speaks in a tongue, two — or at the most three — should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.


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If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church; let them speak to themselves and to God.


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Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.


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If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.


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If any think they are prophets or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command.


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Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.


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By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.


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For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,


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After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.


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For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.


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But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.


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But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?


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More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.


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For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a human being.


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Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.


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For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.


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When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.


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Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?


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If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."


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Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God — I say this to your shame.


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When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.


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All flesh is not the same: Human beings have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.


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There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.


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The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.


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So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;


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it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.


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As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.


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And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.


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I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.


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in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.


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When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."


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Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.


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On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.


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Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.


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Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.


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For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.


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When Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.


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No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.


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Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.


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You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord's people. I urge you, brothers and sisters,


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I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you.


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The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.


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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:


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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,


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who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.


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For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.


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If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.


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And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.


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We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.


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Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.


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He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,


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as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.


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Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God's grace.


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as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.


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I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea.


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Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both "Yes, yes" and "No, no"?


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For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us — by me and Silas and Timothy — was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes."


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For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.


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set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.


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I call God as my witness — and I stake my life on it — that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.


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Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.


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I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.


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For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.


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If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent — not to put it too severely.


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Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.


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Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven — if there was anything to forgive — I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,


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Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,


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I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.


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But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.


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For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.


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To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?


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Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.


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Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, let ters of recommendation to you or from you?


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You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.


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Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.


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He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.


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Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was,


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If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!


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We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.


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But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.


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And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.


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Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.


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The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.


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For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.


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For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.


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But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.


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We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.


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For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.


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It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,


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because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.


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All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.


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Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.


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For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.


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So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.


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For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.


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For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.


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Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.


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Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.


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For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive what is due them for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.


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Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.


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We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.


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If we are "out of our mind," as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.


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For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.


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And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.


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So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.


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All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:


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that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.


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We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.


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God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.


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For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.


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Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;


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in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;


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sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.


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Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?


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What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?


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What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."


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Therefore, "Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."


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Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.


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Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.


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I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.


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I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.


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For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn — conflicts on the outside, fears within.


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and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.


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Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it — I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while —


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yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.


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Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.


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See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.


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So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.


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By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.


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I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.


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And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling.


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And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.


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In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.


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For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,


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And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us.


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So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.


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But since you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.


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I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.


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For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.


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And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.


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Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.


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For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.


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Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.


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At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality,


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as it is written: "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."


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For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.


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And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.


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What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.


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For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of others.


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In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.


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As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.


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Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.


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For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.


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But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.


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For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we — not to say anything about you — would be ashamed of having been so confident.


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So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.


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Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.


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Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.


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And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.


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As it is written: "They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever."


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Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.


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You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.


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This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.


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Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, people will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.


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And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.


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By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you — I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" toward you when away!


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I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.


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The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.


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We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.


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You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.


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So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.


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For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."


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Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.


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We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.


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We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.


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We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ.


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Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand,


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so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else's territory.


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I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.


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But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.


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For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.


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I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.


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Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?


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And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers and sisters who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.


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As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine.


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And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.


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It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.


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I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting.


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In fact, you even put up with any who enslave you or exploit you or take advantage of you or push themselves forward or slap you in the face.


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To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about — I am speaking as a fool — I also dare to boast about.


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Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.


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Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,


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I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own people, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.


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I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.


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In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.


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I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.


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I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know — God knows.


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And I know that this man — whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows —


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I will boast about someone like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.


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Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,


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or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.


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But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.


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That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.


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I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "superapostles," even though I am nothing.


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I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.


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How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!


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Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.


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So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?


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Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery!


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I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?


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Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.


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For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.


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I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.


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This will be my third visit to you. "Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."


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I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others,


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since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.


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For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him in our dealing with you.


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Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test?


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Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.


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We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.


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This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority — the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.


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Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.


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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.


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Paul, an apostle — sent not with a human commission nor by human authority, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead —


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who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,


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I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel —


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which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.


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But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let that person be under God's curse!


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As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let that person be under God's curse!


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Am I now trying to win human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.


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I did not receive it from any human source, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.


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For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.


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I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.


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to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.


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I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.


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Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.


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They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."


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Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.


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I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.


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This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.


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As for those who were held in high esteem — whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism — they added nothing to my message.


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On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews.


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For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles.


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James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.


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All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.


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For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.


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The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.


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When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?


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know that a person is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.


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"But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn't that mean that Christ promotes sin? Ab solutely not!


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I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.


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I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"


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You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.


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I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?


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Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by your observing the law, or by your believing what you heard?


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Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."


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All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."


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The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, "Whoever does these things will live by them."


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Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole."


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He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.


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Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.


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The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.


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What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.


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For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.


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What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.


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Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.


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But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.


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Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.


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There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.


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What I am saying is that as long as heirs are underage they are no different from slaves, although they own the whole estate.


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So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.


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Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Father."


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So you are no longer slaves, but God's children; and since you are his children, he has made you also heirs.


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But now that you know God — or rather are known by God — how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?


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I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.


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Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.


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What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.


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Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.


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It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.


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For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.


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His son by the slave woman was born as the result of human effort, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.


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I am taking these things figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.


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Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.


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For it is written: "Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."


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At that time the son born by human effort persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.


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But what does Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son."


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It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.


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Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.


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Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.


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You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.


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For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.


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I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will have to pay the penalty, whoever that may be.


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Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.


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You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love.


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For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.


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idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions


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and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.


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Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.


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Each of you should test your own actions. Then you can take pride in yourself, without compar ing yourself to somebody else,


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Nevertheless, those who receive instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.


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Those who sow to please their sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; those who sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.


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Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.


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Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.


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Those who want to impress others by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.


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Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.


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May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.


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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God's holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:


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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.


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For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love


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he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will —


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In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace


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he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,


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to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment — to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.


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In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,


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in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.


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And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,


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who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory.


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For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all his people,


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I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.


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I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people,


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he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,


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far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that can be invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.


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And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,


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in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.


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All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.


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made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.


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in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.


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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God —


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For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.


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Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (which is done in the body by human hands) —


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remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.


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For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,


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by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,


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and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.


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Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household,


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built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.


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which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.


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This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.


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I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.


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Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,


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and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.


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His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,


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I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,


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so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,


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may have power, together with all the Lord's people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,


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and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.


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Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,


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to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.


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As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.


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This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people."


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He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)


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until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.


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Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.


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Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ.


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From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.


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So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.


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They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.


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Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.


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You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;


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Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.


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Those who have been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.


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Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.


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and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.


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But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for the Lord's people.


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Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.


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For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a person is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.


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Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.


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But everything exposed by the light becomes visible — and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.


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speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,


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For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.


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and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.


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In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.


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After all, people have never hated their own bodies, but they feed and care for them, just as Christ does the church —


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"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."


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However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.


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Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.


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Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.


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Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.


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because you know that the Lord will reward each one of you for whatever good you do, whether you are slave or free.


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And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.


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For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.


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Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.


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Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,


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In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.


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And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.


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Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,


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Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing.


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I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.


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


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Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God's holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:


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being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.


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It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me.


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so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,


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filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.


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Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.


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As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.


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And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.


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The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.


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But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,


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for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.


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I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.


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If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!


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Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,


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Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together with one accord for the faith of the gospel


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without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved — and that by God.


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For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,


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Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,


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then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.


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Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,


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Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;


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rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.


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And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!


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Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,


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so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky


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as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.


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But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.


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I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.


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But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.


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But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.


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Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.


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Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.


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because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.


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Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.


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For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh —


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though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If others think they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:


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circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;


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What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ


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and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.


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I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,


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Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.


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Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,


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All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.


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Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.


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For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.


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Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.


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who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.


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Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!


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Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.


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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.


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And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


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Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.


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Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.


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I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.


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I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.


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I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.


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Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;


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I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.


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To God's holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.


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the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true word of the gospel


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that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world — just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.


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You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,


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For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,


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so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,


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being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,


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and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his people in the kingdom of light.


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For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,


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For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.


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And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.


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and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.


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But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation —


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if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.


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Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.


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I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness —


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the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people.


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To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.


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We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.


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I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.


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My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,


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For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.


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rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.


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See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.


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In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your sinful nature was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,


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having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.


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When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,


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having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.


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And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.


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Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.


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Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such people also go into great detail about what they have seen, and their unspiritual minds puff them up with idle notions.


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They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.


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Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:


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These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.


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Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.


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Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.


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Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.


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But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.


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Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.


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Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.


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Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.


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Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.


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Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.


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


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Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.


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since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.


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Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.


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And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.


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Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.


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Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.


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I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.


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He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.


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My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)


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Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.


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Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.


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Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.


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After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.


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Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.


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We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.


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because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.


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You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.


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The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia — your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,


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for they themselves report what happened when we visited you. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,


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and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.


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We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.


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For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.


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On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.


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We were not looking for praise from any human being, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our prerogatives.


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so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.


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Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.


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You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.


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encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.


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And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.


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For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your fellow citizens the same things those churches suffered from the Jews,


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who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone


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in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.


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But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.


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For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?


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We sent Timothy, who is our brother and coworker in God's service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,


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so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we are destined for them.


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In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.


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For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.


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But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.


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Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.


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How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?


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Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.


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May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.


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May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.


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As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.


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and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.


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Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.


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Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.


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And in fact, you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, dear friends, to do so more and more,


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and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,


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so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.


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Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.


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We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.


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According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.


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For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.


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After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.


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While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.


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But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.


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You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.


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But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.


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Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.


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And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.


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Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.


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May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:


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We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.


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Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.


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All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.


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and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.


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They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might


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on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.


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With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.


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We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.


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Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters,


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not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us — whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter — asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.


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Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for [that day will not come] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.


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He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.


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For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.


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And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.


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The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,


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and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.


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But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.


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He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.


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May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,


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As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.


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In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.


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For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,


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nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.


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We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.


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For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Anyone who is unwilling to work shall not eat."


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Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.


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Take special note of those who do not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed.


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Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.


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I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.


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


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As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain persons not to teach false doctrines any longer


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or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God's work — which is by faith.


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The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.


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They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.


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We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,


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for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers. And it is for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine


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I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.


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Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.


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The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.


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Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst.


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But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.


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Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.


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Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,


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holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.


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Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.


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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone —


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for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.


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And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle — I am telling the truth, I am not lying — and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.


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I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,


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But women will be saved through childbearing — if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.


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Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,


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He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.


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He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.


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He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.


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In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.


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In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.


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Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.


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if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.


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Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.


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The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.


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Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.


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They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.


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For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,


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If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.


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For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.


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That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.


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Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.


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Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.


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Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.


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Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers,


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But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.


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The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.


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Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.


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No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,


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and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord's people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.


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As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry.


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Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.


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So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.


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If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.


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The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.


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For Scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "Workers deserve their wages."


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But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.


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I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.


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Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.


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Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.


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The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.


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In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.


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All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered.


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Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on.


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If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,


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they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions


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and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.


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Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.


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For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.


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But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.


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Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.


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In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you


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which God will bring about in his own time — God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,


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who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.


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Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.


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In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.


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Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,


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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,


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


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I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.


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For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.


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So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,


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who has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,


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but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.


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That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.


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Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.


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May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.


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May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.


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And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.


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No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs; rather, they try to please their commanding officer.


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Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor's crown except by competing according to the rules.


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for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained.


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Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.


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Keep reminding God's people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.


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Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.


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who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.


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Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."


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In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for disposal of refuse.


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Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.


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Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.


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Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.


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And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.


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Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,


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and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.


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People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,


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They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,


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Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.


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But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.


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You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,


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persecutions, sufferings — what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.


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But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,


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and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.


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All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,


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In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:


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Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.


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For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.


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But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.


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Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.


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for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.


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When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.


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Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.


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At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.


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But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.


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The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.


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Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.


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Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness —


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and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,


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To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.


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The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.


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An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.


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Since an overseer manages God's household, he must be blameless — not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.


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Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is selfcontrolled, upright, holy and disciplined.


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He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.


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For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.


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They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach — and that for the sake of dishonest gain.


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He has surely told the truth! Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith


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and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth.


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To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.


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They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.


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Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.


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Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.


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to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.


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In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness


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and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.


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Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,


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and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.


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It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,


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while we wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,


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who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.


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These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.


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Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,


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At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.


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he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,


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This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.


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But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.


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Warn divisive people once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.


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As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there.


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Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need.


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Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.


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Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker —


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also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier — and to the church that meets in your home:


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I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.


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Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people.


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yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul — an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus —


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I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.


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But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.


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Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever —


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no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.


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I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back — not to mention that you owe me your very self.


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And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.


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but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.


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The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.


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For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?


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And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."


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But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.


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You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."


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He also says, "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.


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You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."


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To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?


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We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.


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For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,


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how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.


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God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.


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But there is a place where someone has testified: "What are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?


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and put everything under their feet." In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.


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But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.


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In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.


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Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.


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He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises."


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And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."


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Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil —


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For this reason he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.


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Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.


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Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.


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"Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house," bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future.


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But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.


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do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,


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That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.'


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See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.


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But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.


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As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."


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And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?


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Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.


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For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.


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Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' " And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.


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For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "On the seventh day God rested from all his work."


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Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience,


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God again set a certain day, calling it "Today." This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."


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Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.


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For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.


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Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.


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Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.


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For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.


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Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.


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Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.


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He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.


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In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father."


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During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.


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We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.


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In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!


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Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.


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But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.


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Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,


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instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.


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It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,


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and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.


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Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.


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But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.


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Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case — the things that have to do with salvation.


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God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.


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We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.


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When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,


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People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.


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Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.


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God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.


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We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,


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where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.


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This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,


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and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace."


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Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.


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Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people — that is, from their kindred — even though their kindred are descended from Abraham.


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This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.


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In the one case, the tenth is collected by those who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.


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If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood — and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood — why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?


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He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.


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For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.


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one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.


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but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.' "


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Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.


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Such a high priest truly meets our need — one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.


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Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.


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For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.


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Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,


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Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.


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If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.


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They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."


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But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.


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For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.


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But God found fault with the people and said: "The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.


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It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.


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This is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.


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No longer will they teach their neighbors, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.


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By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.


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A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place.


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which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.


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Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.


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When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry.


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But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.


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The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning.


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This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.


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They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings — external regulations applying until the time of the new order.


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But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation.


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He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.


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The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.


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How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!


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For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance — now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.


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because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.


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When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.


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In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.


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In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.


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It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.


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For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.


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Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.


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Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.


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so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.


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The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.


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Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.


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Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;


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Then I said, 'Here I am — it is written about me in the scroll — I have come to do your will, my God.' "


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First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" — though they were offered in accordance with the law.


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Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.


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And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.


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Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.


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But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,


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"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."


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Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,


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let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.


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not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


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If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,


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How much more severely do you think those deserve to be punished who have trampled the Son of God underfoot, who have treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who have insulted the Spirit of grace?


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For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people."


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Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.


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Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.


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You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.


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You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.


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By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.


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By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.


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By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away." For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.


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And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.


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By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.


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By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.


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By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.


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And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.


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And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.


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All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.


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Instead, they were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.


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By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,


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Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.


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By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.


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By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.


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By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.


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He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.


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He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.


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By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.


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By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.


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By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.


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By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.


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And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,


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who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,


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quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.


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Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.


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They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated —


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the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.


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Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,


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fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.


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Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.


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And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as children? It says, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,


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Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?


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If you are not disciplined — and everyone undergoes discipline — then you are not legitimate children at all.


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Moreover, we have all had parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!


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Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.


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No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.


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Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.


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See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.


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See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.


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Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.


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You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;


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to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them,


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because they could not bear what was com manded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death."


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But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,


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to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,


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to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.


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See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?


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At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."


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The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain.


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Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,


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Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.


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Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.


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Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.


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Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."


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So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can human beings do to me?"


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Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.


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Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by the eating of ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who observe such rituals.


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The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.


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Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.


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Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.


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Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,


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equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.


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Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.


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I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.


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The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,


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Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.


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John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,


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and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,


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and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.


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"Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him." So shall it be! Amen.


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"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."


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I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.


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which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."


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I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,


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and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.


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In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.


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When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.


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I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.


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The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.


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"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.


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I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.


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Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.


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Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To those who are victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.


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"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.


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I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.


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Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown.


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Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.


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"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.


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I know where you live — where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city — where Satan lives.


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Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.


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Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.


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Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To those who are victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give each of them a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.


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"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.


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I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.


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Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.


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So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.


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I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.


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Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, 'I will not impose any other burden on you,


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they 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery' — just as I have received authority from my Father.


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"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.


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Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.


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Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.


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Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.


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Those who are victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out their names from the book of life, but will acknowledge their names before my Father and his angels.


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"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.


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I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.


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I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars — I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.


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Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.


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Those who are victorious I will make pillars in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.


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"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.


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You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.


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I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.


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Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me.


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To those who are victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.


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After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."


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And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.


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Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.


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From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.


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Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.


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The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.


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Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come."


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Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,


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the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:


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"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."


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Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.


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And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"


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Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."


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Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center before the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.


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And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people.


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And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God members of every tribe and language and people and nation.


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Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.


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In a loud voice they were saying: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"


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Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"


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I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!"


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I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.


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Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people slay each other. To him was given a large sword.


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When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.


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Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "Two pounds of wheat for a day's wages, and six pounds of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"


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I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.


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When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.


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They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"


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Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants and brothers and sisters were killed just as they had been.


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I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,


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The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.


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Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.


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They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!


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After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.


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Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:


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"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."


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From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,


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from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,


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from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.


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After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.


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And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."


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All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,


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saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"


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Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?"


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I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.


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Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.


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'Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,' nor any scorching heat.


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For the Lamb at the center before the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.' "


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Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people, on the golden altar before the throne.


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The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand.


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Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.


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The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. Athird of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.


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The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood,


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The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water —


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the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.


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The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. Athird of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.


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As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"


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The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.


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When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.


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And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.


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They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.


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They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes.


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During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.


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The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.


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They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.


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They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.


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They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).


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The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God.


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It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."


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And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of the world's people.


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The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.


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A third of the people were killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.


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The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.


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The rest of the people who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood — idols that cannot see or hear or walk.


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Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.


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He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,


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and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shout ed, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.


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And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."


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And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay!


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But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."


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Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."


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So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but 'in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.' "


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I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.


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I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers.


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But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.


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They are "the two olive trees" and the two lampstands, and "they stand before the Lord of the earth."


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If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.


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They have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.


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Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.


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Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.


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For three and a half days many from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.


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The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.


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But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.


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Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.


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At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.


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The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever."


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And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,


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saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.


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The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small — and for destroying those who destroy the earth."


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Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.


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A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.


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Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.


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Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.


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She gave birth to a son, a male child, who "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter." And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.


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The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.


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And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.


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The great dragon was hurled down — that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.


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Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.


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They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.


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Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."


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When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.


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The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.


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Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.


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But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.


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Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring — those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.


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The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.


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The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.


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One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.


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People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against it?"


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The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.


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It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.


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It was given power to make war against God's people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.


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All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast — all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.


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"If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed." This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people.


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Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.


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It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.


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And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of everyone.


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Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.


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It was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.


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It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,


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so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.


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This calls for wisdom. Let those who have insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.


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Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.


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And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.


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And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.


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These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among the human race and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.


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Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth — to every nation, tribe, language and people.


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He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."


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A second angel followed and said, " 'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,' which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."


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A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand,


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they, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.


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And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name."


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This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.


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Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."


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I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.


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Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."


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Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe."


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The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath.


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They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.


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I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues — last, because with them God's wrath is completed.


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And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God


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and sang the song of God's servant Moses and of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations.


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Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."


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After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple — that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law — and it was opened.


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Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests.


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Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.


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And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.


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Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth."


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The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.


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The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.


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Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged;


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for they have shed the blood of your people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."


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The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.


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They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.


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The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony


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and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.


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The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.


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Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.


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They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.


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"Look, I come like a thief! Blessed are those who stay awake and keep their clothes on, so that they may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."


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The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!"


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Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since the human race has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.


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The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.


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From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.


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One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.


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With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."


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Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.


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The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.


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This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.


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I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.


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Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.


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The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.


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They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while.


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The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.


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"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.


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They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings — and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."


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Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.


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The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.


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For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled.


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After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.


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With a mighty voice he shouted: "'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!' She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.


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For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."


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Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "'Come out of her, my people,' so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;


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Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup.


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Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.'


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Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.


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"When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.


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Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!'


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"The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore —


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cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;


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cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.


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"They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.'


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The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn


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and cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!


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In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off.


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When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?'


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They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!'


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"Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you."


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Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.


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The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.


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The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.


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In her was found the blood of prophets and of God's people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."


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After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,


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for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."


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The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!"


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Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!"


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Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.


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Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.


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Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's people.)


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Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God."


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At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to Jesus' testimony. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy."


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I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.


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His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.


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The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.


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Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.


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And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God,


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so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small."


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Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.


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But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.


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The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.


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And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.


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He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.


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He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.


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I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.


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(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.


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Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.


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and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth — Gog and Magog — and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.


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They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.


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And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.


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Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.


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And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.


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The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and everyone was judged according to what they had done.


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Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.


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I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.


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And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.


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'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."


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He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."


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He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.


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Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.


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But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."


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One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."


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And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.


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It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.


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It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.


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The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.


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The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls.


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The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.


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The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,


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the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.


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The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.


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The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.


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Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.


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Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb


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down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.


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No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.


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There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.


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The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."


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I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.


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But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!"


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Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.


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Let those who do wrong continue to do wrong; let those who are vile continue to be vile; let those who do right continue to do right; and let those who are holy continue to be holy."


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"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what they have done.


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"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.


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Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.


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"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."


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The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let those who hear say, "Come!" Let those who are thirsty come; and let all who wish take the free gift of the water of life.


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I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If any one of you adds anything to them, God will add to you the plagues described in this scroll.


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And if any one of you takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from you your share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.


