# verses

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 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned around and said to him in the Jewish language, “Rabbouni!”k (which means “Teacher”).


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 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold onto me, because I haven’t gone back to my Father yet. But go and tell my brothers and sisters,l ‘I’m going back to my Father and your Father-tom my God and your God.’”


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 Mary Magdalene went and told the other followers, “I’ve seen the Lord!,” and she told them the things he’d said to her.


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 Jesus Shows himself to his Followers (Lk. 24:36-43; 1 Cor. 15:5) So thenn cameo the evening of that first day of the week. The doors were locked where Jesus’ followers were, because of fear of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood right there with them,p and said to them, “Peace be with you!”


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 When he’d said that, he showed them his hands and his side. The followersq were overjoyed to see the Lord.


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 So then he said to them again, “Peace be with you! Just as the Fatherr sent me, I’m also sending you.”


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 After he said that, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whosever sins you forgive, they’re forgiven.s


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 Jesus Gives Thomas the Proof That he Demanded Now, Thomas, one of the twelve, known as “the Twin,” wasn’t there with them when Jesus came.


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 So the other followers were saying to him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I don’t see the nail holest on his hands and put my finger in the nail holes,u and if I don’t put my hand in his side, I’m never going to believe.”


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 A weekv later, his followers were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came. The doors were locked, yet he stood right there with them.w


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 Jesus said to Thomas, “Give me your finger. See my hands? Give me your hand. Now put it in my side. Stop doubting, and believe.”x


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 Jesus said to him, “Because you’ve seen me, you believe now?y The people who are blessed are the ones that believe withoutz having seen.


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 The Purpose of This Book Jesus certainly did lots of other miraclesaa in front of his followers, which are not written here in this book.


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 But these are written here so that you’ll believebb that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that by believing, you’ll have life in his name.


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 Jesus Meets his Followers at Lake Tiberias (Lake Galilee) After that, Jesus revealed himself to his followers on the shore of Lake Tiberias.a This is how he did it:b


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 Simon Peter, Thomas, known as “the Twin,” Nathaniel, from Canac in Galilee, the Zebedee brothers, and two other followers of Jesus, were together.


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 Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They said to him, “We’re coming with you too.” So they went out and got in the boat, and that night they didn’t catch anything.


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 When it got to be early morning, Jesus stood there on the beach-but his followers didn’t know that it was Jesus.


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 He said to them, “Throw the net on the right side of the boat, and you’ll find some.” So they threw the net over on that side, and there were so many fish they couldn’t pull it in.f


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 So the follower that Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer clothes (because he had them off), and jumped in the lake.


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 But the other followers came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. They weren’t far from the shore-maybe three hundred feet or so.


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 So then, when they landed on the beach,g they saw a charcoal fire had been made, withh fish and bread on it.


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 So Simon Peter got in the boat and dragged ashore the net full of big fish-a hundred and fifty-three of them. Despite there being so many, the net wasn’t torn.


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 Jesus said to them, “Come have breakfast.” Now, none of his followers dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.


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 Jesus Has a Deep Talk with Simon Peter So then, when they’d had breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, John’s son, do you love me more than they do?”j He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Take care of my lambs.”


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 He asked him again a second time, “Simon, John’s son, do you love me?” Peter said to him, “Yes, Lord —you know I that love you.” He said to him, “Be a shepherd to my sheep.”


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 Jesus said to him for the third time, “Simon, John’s son, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that he’d asked him for the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything! You really know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.


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 I’m telling you very seriously: when you were younger, you used to tie your belt around your waist, and you’d walk around wherever you pleased. But when you’re old, you’re going to put out your hands and somebody else is going to tie you up, and they’ll take you where you don’t want to go.”


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 (Jesus said that to indicate the way Peter would die and bring glory to God.)k After he said that, he said to him, “Follow me!”l


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 The Destiny of the Follower That Jesus Loved-To Write This Book! Peter turned around and saw the follower that Jesus loved following them. He was the very person who leaned back in Jesus’ arms at dinner and said, “Teacher, who’s the one who’s betraying you?”m


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 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to stay until I come, what’s that got to do with you?n You follow me.”


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 So the ideao went around among the Christiansp that this follower wasn’t going to die. But Jesus didn’t say to Peter that he wasn’t going to die, but only, “If I want him to stay until I come, what’s that got to do with you?”q


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 It’s that follower who is testifying about all this,r and he’s written all this. We know that his testimony is true.


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 There are lots of other things that Jesus did-and if every single one was written down, I suppose the world itself wouldn’t even have room for all the books that would have to be written.


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 ACTS OF THE APOSTLESa. Introduction Dear Theophilus:b 	 I wrote my first book about all the things that Jesus did and taught,


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 up to the day when he was taken up. On that day, through the Holy Spirit, he gave instructions to the apostles that he had chosen.


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 He had also presented himself to them after his suffering, and had given them lots of convincing proofsc that he was alive. Over a period of forty days, he’d appeared to them and told them things about the kingdom of God.


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 And he got them together and instructed themd not to leave Jerusalem. “No,” he told them, “wait for the Father’s promise, which you’ve heard about from me.


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 Because John baptized in water, but you’re going to be baptized in the Holy Spirit just a few dayse from now.”


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 Jesus Goes up to Heaven (Mk 16:19-20; Lk. 24:50-53) So when they’d gotten together, they asked him this question: “Lord,f is this the time when you’re going to give the kingdom back to Israel?”


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 And he said to them, “The Father has set times and moments in historyg by his own authority, and it’s not yours to know them.


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 But you’re going to receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you’re going to be my witnesses-in Jerusalem and all of Judeah and Samaria, and to the farthest reaches of the earth.”


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 And after he’d said those things, they watched as he was lifted up. And a cloud hid him from their sight.i


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 And as they were staring towards heaven where he’d gone, suddenly two men were standing there with them, in white clothes.


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 And they said, “Why are you Galileansj standingk here lookingl towards heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, is going to come back just the same way as you watched him go into heaven.


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 The Apostles Choose Matthias to Replace Judas Then they went back to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives. It’s near Jerusalem-about a Sabbath day’s walk.m


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 And when they went into the city, they went up to the room where they were staying. There was Peter, John and James, Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomewn and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus,o Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.


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 They were all devoting themselves to prayer, with a single will. They were with the women, and Jesus’ mother Mary, and his brothers.


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 And one time during those days, Peter stood up in the middle of the brothers to speak. (There was a gatheringp there of about a hundred and twenty people.q.)


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 “Gentlemen, brothers!r Through the mouth of David, the Holy Spirit spoke ahead of time about Judas, who served as a guide to the people who arrested Jesus. That scripture had to be fulfilled.s


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 Now, this Judas bought a field with the pay he got for his crime. And he fell on his face there and split opent.-and all his insides spilled out.


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 And what happened to him became known to everyone living in Jerusalem. So that field got to be called Hakeldamau in their language-which means “Blood Field.”)


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 “Because scripture saysv in the book of Psalms, His property is to be empty- Nobody is to live on it.w. And, Somebody else is to take on his responsibility.x


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 So somebody else has to become a witness with us of Jesus’ resurrection. He should be one of the men who have been with us all the time that Jesus walked around with usy.-


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 And they prayed: “Lord, you’re the one who knows everyone’s heart. Point out the one of these two that you’ve chosen


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 to take this placecc of ministry and missiondd.-which Judas turned away from and went to his own place.”


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 The Coming of the Holy Spirit When the Day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.


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 And suddenly a noise came from heaven, like the rushing of a strong wind. And it filled the whole house where they were sitting.


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 And something like tongues of fire appeared to them. The tongues of fire separated and rested on each one of them.


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 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.


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 And when they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. And they were confused, because each one of them was hearing them speak in their own language.


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 They were shocked and amazed. They were saying, “Look, aren’t all these people who are speaking Galileans?b


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 We’re Parthians, Medes, and Elamites.d We have homes in Mesopotamia,e Judea,f Cappadocia,g Pontus, Asia,


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 both Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism.j We’re Cretans and Arabs. They’re telling the great deeds of God in our own languages.”


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 And they were all shocked, and stood there bewildered. They were saying to one another, “What can this mean?”


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 Peter Preaches to the Crowd But Peter stood together with the eleven and raised his voice. He shouted to them: “Fellowl Jews!m All of you who live in Jerusalem! Let me explain this to you-listen to what I have to say!n


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 And in the last days, God says, I’m going to pour out my Spirit on all people.p. And your sons and daughters are going to prophesy,q. And your young ones are going to see visions, And your elders are going to dream dreams.


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 And in those days I’m going to pour out my Spirit on my servants, both men and women, and they’re going to prophesy.r


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 And I’m going to show wonders in heaven above, And miracless on the earth below: Blood and fire and clouds of smoke.


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 The sun is going to be turned dark,t. And the moon is going to be turned the color of blood, Before the great and gloriousu Day of the Sovereign One comes,


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 Fellow Israelites, listen to this.v Jesus of Nazareth is a man whose genuineness was proven to you by God-by the miracles,w wonders, and displays of power that God did in front of youx through him. And you all know it.y


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 This man, in the specific will and foreknowledge of God, was given over to you by the hand of lawless people. And you killed him by hanging him on a cross.


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 But God has resurrected him! God freed him from the agonyz of death, because it wasn’t possible for him remain in its power.aa


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 After all, David says, referring to Jesus, I’ve always had the Sovereign One right in front of me: God is at my right side, so I’m not going to lose my confidence.bb


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 That’s why my heart is glad and my tongue celebrates, And my bodycc itself is still going to live in hope.


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 Because you’re not going to leave my soul in Hades,dd. And you’re not going to give your holy one over to face decay:


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 Gentlemen, brothers!gg I can tell you with confidence about our ancestor, David: he not only died and was buried, but his tomb is with us to this day.


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 But he was a prophet. And he knew that God had sworn an oath to him: that his descendant, who would come from his own body, was going to sit on his throne.hh


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 And because he knew ahead of time about the resurrection of Messiah,ii he said, He wasn’t abandoned to Hades, And his flesh didn’t experience decay.jj


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 he’s been raised up to God’s right side. And he has received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, and has poured out what you’re seeing and hearing.


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 After all, David didn’t go up into heaven.kk Becausell he says himself: The Sovereign One said to my Lord, Sit on my right,


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 So every family in Israel should know this for a fact:nn that God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah-the very Jesusoo that you hung on a cross.”


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 Many Become Believers and are Baptized; A Community is Born And when they heard that, they were devastated.pp And they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”


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 And Peter said to them, “Change your hearts,qq and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you’ll receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.


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 Because the promise of the Spirit is for you, and for your children, and for everyone far away-whoever our Sovereign God invites.”


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 And Peter said lots of other things as he testified; and he was appealing to them, saying, “Get savedrr from this perverse generation!”ss


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 So those who accepted his message got baptized-and about three thousand peoplett were added to Jesus’ followers that day.


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 And they were faithfully committed to the teaching of the apostles, to getting together, to eating together, and to prayer.uu


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 Everyone was in a state of awe.vv And God was doing lots of wonders and miraclesww through the apostles.xx


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 And they were selling their property and possessions, and were handing out the proceedszz to everyone, as people had need.


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 And every day they all faithfully attended the Temple together,aaa and they would eat together in people’s homes.bbb They’d share meals with joyful and sincere hearts.


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 They were praising God, and were in good favor with everyone.ccc And day by day, the Lord was adding more people to their number who were being saved.ddd


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 Peter Heals a Paralyzed Man in the Temple One day, Peter and John went up to the Temple for the three o’clock prayers.


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 And a man was being carried along. He had been unable to walk from birth, and every day they used to put him in front of the Temple gate called “Beautiful.” That way, he could ask for donations from people going into the Temple.


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 But Peter said, “I don’t have any money.a But I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus the Messiah of Nazareth, walk!”b


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 And grabbing him by the right hand, Peter raised him up. And all at once his feet and ankles were strengthened,


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 and he leaped to his feet and began walking. And he went into the Temple with them-walking and leaping, and praising God.


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 and people were recognizing him as the same person who had been sitting at the Temple’s Beautiful Gate asking for donations. And they were completely amazedc and in awe over what had happened to him.


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 Peter Preaches in the Temple And while he was holding onto Peter and John, all the people ran up to them in total amazement.d They were at the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.


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 And when Peter saw what was happening, he spoke out to the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us as though we’ve made this man walk by our own power or religiousness?e


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 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of all our ancestors,f has glorified Jesus, God’s Son-the man you betrayed and denouncedg in front of Pilate. Pilate’s verdict was to release him!


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 And you killed the Founderi of Life. But God has raised him from among the dead, and we’re witnesses to that fact.j


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 And do you see this man? You know him. The name of Jesus has made him strong-he was healed by faith in Jesus’ name.k And the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this complete health right in front of you all.


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 But that’s how God fulfilled the things about the Messiah’sl sufferings that had been announced ahead of time through allm of the prophets.


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 That way, times of refreshmento can come from the presence of the Sovereign One. And God will send Jesus, the Messiah chosen for you.


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 He has to remain in heaven until the time when everything will be restored.p God has spoken about that time from the beginning of the world, through the mouths of God’s holy prophets.


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 For example, Moses said: The Sovereign One, your God, is going to raise up a prophet like me from among your brothers. Listen to him, to everything that he says to you.


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 And all the prophets, from Samuel onwards-all those who have said anything-have predicted these days.


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 And you are their heirs! And you’re heirs of the covenants that God made with yourt ancestors. God said to Abraham, …and all the families of the earth are going to be blessed by your offspring.u


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 The blessing is for you first! God has raised upv God’s Servant,w and has sent him to bless you by turning each of you from the evil things that you do.”x


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 Peter and John are Arrested and Brought in Front of the High Council Now, as they were speaking to the people, the priestsa and the Temple Guard and the Sadduceesb came up to them.


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 They were all upset-because Peter and John were teaching the people, and because they were proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from among the dead.


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 They grabbed Peter and John and threw them in prison until the next day-because it was already evening.


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 But lots of people who heard their message became believers.c And the number of the men who believed got to be about five thousand.


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 Annas the high priest was there; so were Caiaphasd and John and Alexander-everyone in the high priest’s family.e


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 And they stood Peter and John in front of them allf and started asking them, “By what power, or by what name, have you done this?”


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 If so, you-and all the people of Israel-should knowh that it was in the name of Jesus the Messiah, from Nazareth. He’s the one you hung on a cross, but God raised him from among the dead. It is in his name that this man is standingi in front of you as a healthy person.


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 There’s no salvation in anyone else-in all the world, God has given no other name to humanity for the salvation we need.”k


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 The leaders saw Peter and John’s boldness, and they realized that they were uneducated, ordinary men. They were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.


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 Butl since they saw the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say back to them.


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 They were saying, “What shall we do with these people? After all, it’s obvious to everybody who lives in Jerusalem that a famous miracle has happened through them. We can’t deny it.


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 But let’s make sure that it isn’t spread even further in the populationm.-let’s warn them that from now on they’re not to say anything to anybody in this name.”


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 Son they called Peter and John, and they ordered them that they were not evero to speak or teach in Jesus’ name.


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 But Peter and John said back to them, “You can decide whether it’s right in God’s eyes to listen to you instead of God.


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 And when they’d threatened them further, they let them go. They couldn’t find any way to punish them, because of the people. They were all glorifyingq God over what happened-


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 The Believers Praise God and Pray for Boldness When Peter and John were released, they went to their own people and told them about all the things the chief priests and elders had said.


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 When they heard the story, they all started praising God at once.s They said, “Sovereign One! You’re the One who made the sky and the earth and the sea, and everything in them!t


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 You spoke through the mouth of your servant, our ancestor David. Through the Holy Spirit, you said,u Why were the nations enraged? Why did the peoples plan foolish things?


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 Earth’s rulers took their stand, And the leaders gathered all together, Against the Sovereign God, and against God’s Messiah.v


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 Andw it’s true: in this city, Herodx and Pontius Pilatey got together with the other nations and with the peoples of Israel. They came against your holy servantz Jesus, the One you anointed-


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 Soaa now, Sovereign One, notice their threats. Give your servants the gift of speaking your message with total boldness.


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 Help us by reaching out your hand to heal. And let miracles and wonders happen through the name of your holy servantbb Jesus.”


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 And when they’d prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began boldly speaking God’s message.


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 The Believers Share their Possessions The whole group of those who had become believerscc was of one heart and one soul.dd And no one was claimingee that any of their things was private property-just the opposite. They were holding everything in common.


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 And the apostles were testifying with great power to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Powerful grace was on them all.


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 And there wasn’t anyone needy among them. Because those who owned pieces of property or houses would sell them, and they would bring the proceeds of the sales


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 and lay them at the feet of the apostles. The proceeds would then be distributed to individuals according to their needs.ff


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 For example, there was Joseph, who was named Barnabas by the apostles. (That name means Son of Encouragement). He was a Levitegg from Cyprus,


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 and owned a piece of property. He sold it, and he brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.


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 A Couple Lies about a Gift of Land-And Both Die Suddenly Now a certain man named Ananias,a together with his wife Sapphira,b also sold some property.


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 And he secretly held back the money for himself-and his wife was in on it.c And he brought part of the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.


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 But Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has made you dared to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to hold back some of the value of the property for yourself?


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 When it was still there, wasn’t it still yours?e And when it had been sold, wasn’t it still up to youf what to do with the proceeds? Why have you set your heart on doing this? You haven’t lied to human beings, but to God!”


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 When Ananias heard those words, he collapsed and died. And everyone who heard about it was deeply frightened.g


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 Peter said to her, “Tell me, is this how much the property was sold for?” And she said, “Yes, that’s the amount.”


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 Peter said to her, “How could you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Sovereign One? Look-the peopleh who buried your husband are at the door, and they’re going to carry you out too.”


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 And she immediately collapsed at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her with her husband.


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 The Apostles Heal Lots of People The apostles were doing lots of miracles and wonders in public.j They’d all get together at Solomon’s Colonnade,k


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 and none of the other people dared to join them. All the same, the public thought very highly of them.


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 It even got to the point that people carried their sick folks out into the streets and laid them on cots and sleeping mats. That way, when Peter came, at least his shadow might fall on some of them.


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 And a crowd also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem. They were bringing sick people, and people disturbed by uncleanm spirits, and all of them were getting healed.


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 The Jewish Leaders Persecute the Apostles But the high priest, and all the people with him-that is, the Sadduceen party-got full of jealousy.


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 But an angel of the Sovereign One opened the doors of the jail at night and led them out. The angel said,


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 When they heard that, they went into the Temple at dawn and began to teach. Then the high priest arrived, together with his people. They called together the High Council and all the elders of Israel, and they sent people to the jail to get the apostles.


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 They reported: “We found the jail locked and all secure, and the guards were standing in front of the doors. But when we opened them, we didn’t find anyone.”


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 When the captain of the Temple Guard and the chief priests heard that, they didn’t know what to think. What could this be?


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 But then someone arrived and reported to them, “Look, the men you put in jail are standing there in the Temple and teaching the people!”


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 Then the captain went off with his officers and brought them. They didn’t use force, because they were afraid of the public. They were worried about getting stoned.p


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 “We’ve given you a formal order not to teach in this name, and look!q You’ve filled Jerusalem with your teaching. You even want to make us responsible for this man’s death!”r


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 God has lifted him up to God’s right side as Leader and Savior, to give Israel a change of heartu and forgiveness of sins.


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 And we’re witnessesv of these things. And so is the Holy Spirit, whomw God has given to those who obey God.”


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 But a certain Phariseey in the Council, named Gamaliel,z stood up. He was a teacher of the Law respected by all the people. He ordered the men to be put outside for a moment.


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 He said to the Council, “Fellow Israelites,aa be cautious about what you’re wanting to do to these people.


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 After all, some time ago Theudasbb got up and was claiming he was something or other, and about four hundred men joined him-but he was killed, and all the people that believed in him were scattered and died out.cc


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 After that, Judas the Galileandd got up, at the time of the census. He led a group of people off after him in a rebellion, and he died too. And all the people that believed in him were scattered.


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 So in this case I’m saying to you, have nothing to do with these people. Let them go. Because if this plan or intention of theirs is from human beings, it’ll fizzle out.


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 But if it’s from God, you won’t be able to destroy them-and you’ll even find yourself fighting against God.”ee And they were persuaded by Gamaliel.


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 They called in the apostles, and when they’d given them a beating, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.


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 So the apostles were celebrating as they went out from the High Council. Because they’d been considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.


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 And every day in the Temple, and from house to house, they kept on teaching and proclaiming the good news of the Messiah, Jesus.


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 The Believers Choose Seven Managers for the Food Distribution Work Around that time,a as the number of followers was growing, a grievance arose. The Greek-speaking Jews complained to the Hebrew speakers that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.


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 So the Twelveb called together the whole group of the followers and said, “It’s not good for us to neglect preaching God’s word to handle the food distribution.c


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 So brothers and sisters, choose from among you seven men known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We’ll put them in charge of this responsibility.


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 And that idea pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus,e Nicanor,f Timon,g Parmenas,h and Nicolaus,i a proselytej from Antioch.k


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 Now, the word of God was spreading, and the number of followers of Jesus in Jerusalem was growing quickly. A large number of the priests had also accepted the faith.m


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 Stephen is Arrested and Brought in Front of the High Council Stephen was full of grace and power, and used to do great wonders and miraclesn in public.o


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 But some people from the “Synagoguep of Freedmen” stood against him. And so did some Cyreniansq and Alexandrians, and people from Ciliciar and Asia Minor. They used to argue with Stephen.


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 Then they got some men to tell lies about him. They said, “We have heard him saying blasphemous things towards Moses and God.


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 And they stirred up the people and the elders and scripture experts. They came up and violently grabbed him. And they dragged him in front of the High Council.


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 Then they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man never stops staying things against this Templeu and against the Law of Moses.


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 For example, we’ve heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth is going to tear down this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”


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 And when all the people sitting on the Council looked hard at Stephen, they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.


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 Gentlemen-brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia.a This was before he settled in Haran.b


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 God said to him, Leave your land and your people, and come to the land that I’m going to show you.c


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 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeansd and settled in Haran. He moved from there after the death of his father, and came to this land-where you now live.


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 And God didn’t give him any inheritancee in it-not even one square yard.f Yet God promised to give it to him as a possession-to him and his descendants,g. even though Abraham was childless.


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 And God put it this way: Yourh descendants are going to live as foreigners in a foreign land. They’re going to enslave your descendants and mistreat them for four hundred years.i And God said,


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 And I’m going to judge the nation that they are going to serve as slaves. After that they’re going to leave, and they’re going to serve me in this place.j


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 And God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision.k And so Abraham had Isaac, and circumcisedl him on the eighth day. And Isaac circumcised Jacob, and Jacob circumcised the twelve patriarchs.


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 Now, the patriarchs were envious of Joseph, and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Butm God was with him,


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 and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave Joseph favor and wisdom in the eyes of Pharaoh, the king of the Egyptians. And Pharaoh appointed him governor of Egypt and of his whole estate.


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 Then there came a famine over all of Egypt and Canaan.n. There was great suffering,o and our ancestors couldn’t find anything to eat.


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 Then Jacob heard that there was foodp in Egypt. He sent off our twelve ancestors on their first visit.


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 On their second visit, Joseph was recognized by his brothers, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.q


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 And they were transported to Shechemr and buried there, in the tomb that Abraham had purchaseds from the sons of Hamort atu Shechem.


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 As the time was getting close for the fulfillment of God’s solemn promise to Abraham, our people grew very numerousv in Egypt.


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 This king took advantage of our clan, and forced our ancestors to leave their babies outdoors to die.x


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 At that time, Moses was born. And he was a child beautiful to God. For three months he was cared for in his father’s house,


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 and then he was left outdoors. When that happened, Pharaoh’s daughter rescued him,y and raised him as her own son.


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 And so Moses became trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was powerful in speech and in action.z


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 When he got to be forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his Israelite brothers and sisters.


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 He was hoping his own people would understand that God was rescuing them through him.bb But they didn’t.


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 The next day he showed up when they were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them and make peace. He said, “Men, you’re brothers! Why are you doing each other wrong?”


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 But the one who was mistreating his fellow Israelitecc shoved him away and said, Who set you up as a leader and judge over us?


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 When he said that, Moses went into exile,ff and ended up living as a foreigner in Midian.gg He had two sons there.


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 After forty years had gone by, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai,hh in the flame of a burning bush.ii


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 Moses was amazed at the sight of it, and when he went nearer to look more closely, he heardjj the voice of the Sovereign One:


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 I am the God of your ancestors-the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.kk. Moses started shaking, and didn’t dare to look.


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 And the Sovereign One said to him, “Take the sandals off your feet! The place where you’re standing is holy ground.


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 I’ve truly seen the mistreatment of my people in Egypt; I’ve heard their groaning, and I’ve gone down there to rescue them out of there. So now come along! I’m going to send you to Egypt.ll


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 This is the same Moses that they’d rejectedmm when they said, Who set you up as a leader and judge?nn. This is the person God sent as a leader and rescuer,oo by means ofpp the angel who had appeared to him in the bush.


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 This is the one who led them out, and did wonders and miracles in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the desert for forty years.


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 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, God’s going to give you a prophet like me, who comes from your own people.qq


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 This Moses is the one who was in the Israelite community in the desert-with our ancestors-and with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He received revelations from Godrr to give to us.


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 But our ancestors wouldn’t listen to himss.-just the opposite. They shoved him aside and turned back to Egypt in their hearts.


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 They said to Aaron, Make us gods that will go along in front of us! After all, this Moses, who led us out from the land of Egypt-we don’t know what happened to him.tt


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 And at that timeuu they made a calf idol. They sacrificed to it, and were celebratingvv the object that they’d made.ww


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 And God turned away, and left them to worship the stars in the sky.xx Just as scripture saysyy in the Book of the Prophets, Family of Israel,zz did you bring me offeringsaaa and sacrifices for forty years in the desert? No!


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 Instead,bbb you carried along the tent of Moloch,ccc And the star of your god Rephanddd.- The images that you made so you could worship them. Well,eee I’m going to move you beyond Babylon!fff


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 Our ancestors had the tent of witness in the desert. The One who talked with Moses had instructed him just how to make it, using the pattern that he’d seen.ggg


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 Our ancestors who were with Joshua inherited it, and they brought it into the Promised Land. They took over those nations-God drove them out right in front of them.hhh That went on until David’s time.iii


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 David “found favor in God’s eyes,” and he asked if he could find a dwelling place for Godjjj in Jacob’s family.


text:
 Of course, the Most High doesn’t live in buildings built by human hands. Just like the prophet says,


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 Heaven is my throne, And the earth is the footstool under my feet. What kind of house are you going to build for me, says the Sovereign One. Where am I going to lie down and rest?kkk


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 You’re stiff-necked! Your hearts are uncircumcised, and so are your ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just like your ancestors!


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 Which of the prophets didn’t your ancestors persecute? They killed those who predicted the coming of the Just One-and you’ve become his betrayers and murderers!mmm


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 The High Council Stones Stephen to Death When they heard that, they were totally enraged,ooo and ground their teeth at Stephen.


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 But he was full of the Holy Spirit. He stared into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right side.


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 and threw him out of the city. And they began to stone him. And the witnesses took their coats off and laid them at the feet of a young man called Saul.


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 Then he fell to his knees and shouted out with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” And he diedppp saying that.


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 Saul Persecutes the Community of Believers Now, Saul was in agreement with Stephen’s murder. And a huge persecution started that day in Jerusalem against the community. And everyone but the apostles got scattered throughout the countrysidea of Judeab and Samaria.c


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 And Saul was devastating the community. He was going house to house, dragging out men and women, and putting them in prison.


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 Philip Preaches in Samaria Meanwhile, those who had been scattered went here and there preaching the good news.


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 And the crowds were paying complete attention to the things Philip was saying.g They listened and they watched the miracles he was doing.


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 For example, lots of people had unclean spirits, and the spirits would come out, screaming. And lots of people who were paralyzed and unable to walk got healed.


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 Now, a certain man named Simon had been practicing sorcery in the city before Philip came. He’d astonished the people of Samaria, and was claiming to be somebody big.


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 Everybody used to pay attention to him, from the weakest to the most powerful.h They’d say, “This man is what’s called ‘the Great Power of God’!”i


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 And they paid attention to him, because he’d been astonishing them with his magic arts for a good while.


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 But then they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the Reign of God and about Jesus Christ.j And both men and women were getting baptized.


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 And Simon became a believerk too, and got baptized. He was listening carefully to Philip, and he was astonished, watching the miracles and the massive displays of power that were happening.


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 Then the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samarial had accepted God’s message.m So they sent Peter and John to them.


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 (Because the Spirit hadn’t come on any of them yet. They’d only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)


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 And Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people.n He brought them money, and


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 was saying, “Give me that authority, too, so that if I lay my hands on somebody, they’ll receive the Holy Spirit.”


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 But Peter said to him, “Your money could go to hell, and you with it! You thought you would buy the gift of God with money?!o


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 So renounceq this awful intention of yours, and plead with the Lord-just maybe you’ll be forgiven for having that intention in your heart.r


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 Simon said back to him, “Please pray for me to the Lord yourselves-pray that nothing you said will happen to me.”


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 When they’d stated their testimony, and had spoken the message about the Lord,t they started back to Jerusalem. And they were preaching the good news to lots of Samaritanu villages on the way.


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 Philip Tells the Good News to a High Official from Ethiopia And an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south on that deserted road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”v


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 And he got up and went. And he saw an Ethiopian man-an influential officialw of the Candace,x the queen of Ethiopia. He was in charge of her whole treasury. He’d come to Jerusalem to worship,


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 And when he ran up to it, Philip heard him reading Isaiah the prophet. And he said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”


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 And the man said, “Well, how could I, unless somebody’s going to guide me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.


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 And this is the scripture passage that he was reading: He was led like a sheep to slaughter, And just like a lamb in the hands of a sheep-shearer,y he was silent, And he didn’t open his mouth.


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 He was humiliated-his trial was hijacked.z Who’s going to tell the story of his descendants? Because his life has been takenaa from the earth.bb


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 When he’d read that, the official saidcc to Peter, “Can I ask you: who’s the prophet saying this about? Is it about himself, or about somebody else?”


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 And as they were going along the road, they came to some water. And the officialee said, “Look, water! Is there anything to keep me from being baptized?ff


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 And he ordered the carriage to stop, and the two of them-Philip and the officialgg.-went down into the water. And Philip baptized him.


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 And when Philip came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched him away, and the officialhh didn’t see him anymore. He simply went on his way, celebrating.


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 Meanwhile, Philip found himself in Azotus.ii And he went through all the towns preaching the good news until he came to Caesarea.jj


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 Jesus Stops Saul in his Tracks-And he Becomes a Believer But Saul was still fuming with murderous threatsa against the Lord’s followers. He went to the high priest and


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 asked him for authorization letters to the synagoguesb in Damascus.c That way, if he found people from the Wayd.-men or women-he could bring them to Jerusalem in chains.


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 Meanwhile, the men traveling with Saul had been standing there speechless. They’d heard the voice,e but they couldn’t see anyone.


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 Saul got up off the ground. But when he opened his eyes, he couldn’t see anything. So they led him by the hand as they went into Damascus.


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 Now, there was a certain follower of Jesus in Damascus named Ananias,f and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”


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 And the Lord said to him, “Gog over to Straight Street, to Judas’s house. Go in and ask for a man named Saul, from Tarsus. Because he’s praying,


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 But Ananias said back to him, “Lord, I’ve heard about this man from lots of people-what harmful things he’s done to your holy ones in Jerusalem.


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 And here in Damascus he has authority from the chief priests to arrest everyone who prays to you.”h


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 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because he belongs to me. I’ve chosen himi to bring my name to nations and rulers, and to the peoplej of Israel.


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 So Ananias went off to Judas’s house, and laid his hands on Saul. He said, “Brother Saul, the Lord sent me-the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road asl you were coming here. He sent me so that you’ll be able to see again, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”


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 And right away something like fish scales fell off of Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. And Saul got up and got baptized.


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 And when he’d eaten some food, his strength came back. Saul Preaches Jesus in the Synagogues of Damascus Saul was with the followers of Jesus in Damascus for several days.


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 And everybody that heard him was astonished. They were saying, “Isn’t this the man who tried to wipe out the people in Jerusalem that pray to this Jesus?n And didn’t he come here to arrest them and bring themo to the chief priests?”


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 And Saul got more and more powerful. He would completely out-argue the Jewsp in Damascus, and was proving that this was the Messiah.


text:
 Paul Escapes from Damascus After quite a few days of this, the Jews of Damascus formed a plan to assassinate him.


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 But Saul found out about their plan.q They were actually watching the gates of the city day and night, waiting for an opportunity so they could assassinate him.


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 Saul Visits the Believers and Apostles in Jerusalem When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he began trying to join the followers of Jesus. But they were all afraid of him. They didn’t believe he was a follower.


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 But Barnabas took charge of him and led him to meet the apostles. Barnabas told them the story of how Saul had seen the Lord on the road, and the Lord had spoken to him. And he told about how he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.


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 And he was with them for some time, walking around in Jerusalem and speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.


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 He was also talking and arguing with the people who spoke Greek.r But they started trying to assassinate him.


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 When the brothers and sisters learned about it, they took him down to Caesareas and sent him off to Tarsus.


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 So the community all over Judeat and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and was growing stronger. The community was livingu in reverence for the Lord and growing, thanks to the Holy Spirit’s encouragement.


text:
 Peter’s Miracles in Lydda and Joppa Now, Peter was traveling around tov all the communities. At one point he happened to visit the holy ones who lived in Lydda.w


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 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ is healing you! Get up and make your bed.” And right away he stood up.


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 And in Joppa there was a follower of Jesus named Tabitha. That name means “Dorcas.”y She was always doing kind things and helping poor people.z


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 But around that time, she got sickaa and died. And they washed her body and laid her in an upstairs room.


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 Now, Lydda was near Joppa. And when the followers heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him. They pleaded with him, “Please come over to us right away!”


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 So Peter got up and went with them. When he got there, they led him to the upstairs room. And all the widows crowded around him, crying. And they were showing him shirts and clothes Dorcas had made when she was still with them.


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 But Peter made them all leave the room,bb and got on his knees and prayed. Thencc he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” And she opened her eyes! And when she saw Peter, she sat up.


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 And he offered her his hand, and helped her stand up. Thendd he called to the holy ones and the widows, and gave her back to them alive.ee


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 That miracle became well known throughout Joppa, and lots of people became believersff in the Lord.


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 The Spirit Draws Peter Together with Cornelius-A Gentile There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius.a He was a Roman officerb from what was called “the Italian Regiment.”


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 He was very devout towards God,c along with his whole family.d He used to do lots of things to help poor people,e and he prayed to God all the time.f


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 In a vision, at about three o’clock one afternoon, he clearly saw an angel of God coming to him. The angel said to him, “Cornelius!”


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 He stared at the angel, and was very frightened. He said, “What is it, sir?” And the angel said to him, “Your prayers and the things you do for the poor have gone up as a memorial offering to God.


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 As soon as the angel speaking to him went away, Cornelius called two household servants, and one of his attendant soldiers who was devout towards God.


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 Now, the next day, they were still on the way. About noon, as they were getting near the city, Peter went up onto the roof to pray.


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 And he got hungry, and was wanting to eat. While they were making something for him, he went into a dream state.h


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 And he saw heaven opened up, and a thing like a huge sheet coming down. He watched it being lowered down onto the ground by its four corners.i


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 Peter was all confused inside. What did his vision mean? Then suddenly,n there were the men sent by Cornelius. They’d asked for directions to Simon’s house, and were standing at the gate.


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 And they said, “Cornelius the Roman officerr is a person of integritys and reverence for God. He’s well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation. He was told by a holy angel to invite you to his house and hear what you have to say.”t


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 So he invited them in and made them his guests. The next day he got up and left with them. Some of the followersu from Joppa went with him too.


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 Theyv arrived in Caesarea the next morning. Cornelius was expecting them, and had gotten together his relatives and close friends.


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 Peter said to them, “You know very well that it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with a Gentile or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me not to call any human being unholy or unclean.


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 That’s why I came without objection when I was invited. So may I ask you, why have you invited me here?”


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 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, at about three o’clock in the afternoon, I was in my house praying.y And suddenly a man in shining clothes stood in front of me.


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 He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and the things you do for the poor have gone up as a memorial offering right toz God.


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 So send to Joppa and invite Simon, who’s called Peter. He’s staying as a guest in Simon the tanner’s house, next to the sea.’aa


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 So I sent people to you right away, and you’ve been kind enough to come. So now, we’re all here in God’sbb presence to hear everything the Sovereign Onecc has told you to say.”


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 Peter Preaches to the People in Cornelius’s House So Peter began to speak. He said,dd  “I reallyee understand that God doesn’t regard some people as better than others.ff


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 You know the message that God sent to the peoplegg of Israel, bringing the good news of peacehh through Jesus the Messiah. He is Lord of all people!


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 You know what happened throughout Judea,ii starting fromjj Galilee-after the baptism that John announced.


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 You know how God anointedkk Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He traveled around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.


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 We’re witnesses of all the things he did-in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem. And they murdered him by hanging him on a stake.ll


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 not to all the people, but only to the witnesses God had chosen beforehand. We’re the ones who ate and drank with him after his resurrectionnn from among the dead.


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 And God has commanded us to announce to the people and testify: God has appointed this man as judge of the living and of the dead!


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 This is the testimony of all the prophets:oo that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”


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 The Holy Spirit Falls on Gentiles While Peter was still saying these words, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who was listening to the message.


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 And the Jewish believerspp who had come with Peter were astounded-becauseqq the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles too.


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 After all, they were hearing them speaking in other languages and praising the greatness of God. Then Peter said,


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 “Surely nobody can refuse to let these people go into the water and be baptized! Haven’t they received the Holy Spirit just like we did?rr


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 And Peter gave instructions for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with them for a few days.


text:
 Peter Reports Back to the Apostles and Believers in Jerusalem Thena the apostles and the brothers and sisters throughout Judeab heard that the Gentiles had accepted God’s messagec too.


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 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, when I saw a vision in a dream state: a thing like a huge sheet was coming down out of heaven, being lowered by its four corners. And it landed right next to me.f


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 I looked closely at it, and began to examine it. And I saw four-footed animals, wild animals, reptiles and birds.g


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 Then suddenlyj at that moment three men were there at the house where I was staying. They’d been sent to me from Caesarea.


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 And the Spirit told me to go with them without any hesitation.k These six brothers also went with me, and we went to the man’s house.


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 And he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, who said, ‘Send to Joppa to get Simon, who’s called Peter.


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 He’s going to say some things to you, and you and your whole family are going to be saved by his message.’l


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 And as I was just starting to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as it did on us in the beginning.


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 And I remembered the Lord’s words-how he used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you are going to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.


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 So if God gave them the same gift as God gave us when we became believersm in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think I could stand in God’s way?”n


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 When they heard that, they quit complaining and glorified God. They were saying, “Well then, God has also given the Gentiles the change of heart o that leads to eternal life.”


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 The Community of Believers in Antioch, Syria Now, as for the people who had gotten scattered because of the persecution to do with Stephen, they traveled all the way to Phoeniciap and Cyprus and Antioch. But they weren’t telling the message to anyone except Jews.


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 Some of them were from Cyprus and Cyrene.q When these folks came to Antioch, they started talking to the people who spoke Greekr as well, and were telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.


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 And the Lord’s powers was with them, and a great number of people became believerst and turned to the Lord.


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 Then the news about them came tou the community in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.


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 He was very glad when he arrived and saw the grace of God. And he was encouraging them all to stay true to the Lord with sincere hearts.v


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 Because Barnabas was a good man, and he was full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And a good sized crowd of people were brought over to the Lord.


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 And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it worked outw that they stayed inx that community for a whole year, and taught a good sized crowd. And it was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus first got to be known as “Christians.”


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 And one of them, named Agabus,z got up and predicted, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that a huge famine was about to take place throughout the whole world. (That famine happened during the reign of Claudius Caesar.aa.)


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 So the followers made a decision. In line with their financial condition, each of them would send something to help the brothers and sisters in Judea.bb


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 Herod Arrests and Executes James, and Peter is Thrown in Prison At that time, King Heroda arrested some people from the community, determined to mistreat them.


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 And when he saw that that pleased the Jewish leaders,c he went on to arrest Peter too. (It was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.d.)


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 And when he had arrested him, he put him in prison. And he posted four squads of soldierse to guard him. He wanted to bring him out to the people for a trial after the Passover.f


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 So while Peter was kept under guard in prison, the communities were praying all the time to God for him.g


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 Peter Miraculously Escapes from Prison When Herod was just about to bring him out in public, that night Peter was asleep between two soldiers. He was shackled with two chains, and guards were in front of the door, guarding the cell.h


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 Then suddenly the Lord’s angel stood there, and a light shone in the cell. He tappedi Peter on the side and woke him up. He was saying, “Quickly-get up!” And Peter’s chains fell off his hands.


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 And the angel said to him, “Get dressed, and put on your sandals.” And Peter did so. Then the angel said to him, “Throw on your coat and come with me.”j


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 As Peter followed him outside, he didn’t know that what the angel was doing was really happening. He just thought he was seeing a vision.


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 They passed through the first and second guard stations, then they came to the iron gate that leads to the city. And it opened for them all by itself. They came out and walked for a block,k then suddenly the angel left him.


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 And Peter came to his senses and said, “Now I really know the Lord sent his angel and rescued me-from Herod’s grasp,l and from everything the Jewish public has been expecting.”


text:
 When he realized that, he went to the home of Mary, John Mark’s mother. There were a good number of people gathered there praying.


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 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so happy that she didn’t open the door, but ran in and told everyone that Peter was standing right outside the courtyard.m


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 But they said, “You’re crazy.” But she insisted that it was true. Then they were saying, “It’s his angel.”


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 Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking. And when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.


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 When Peter had signaled for quiet with his hand,n he told them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report all this to James and to the brothers and sisters.” Then he left and went to a different place.


text:
 Herod had him searched for, and he wasn’t found. When he’d questioned the guards, he ordered for them to be executed. Then he went down from Judeap to Caesarea and stayed there a while.


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 Herod Dies One timeq Herod was furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon.r And they came to him all together, after they had won over Blastus, Herod’s personal assistant.s They were pleading for peace, because their region got its food from Herod’s country.


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 On the day of the meeting,t Herod put on his royal robes and sat on his throne. And he began to give a speech to them.


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 And right away an angel of the Sovereign One struck him down-because he hadn’t given God the glory. And he was eaten by worms and died.


text:
 But the preaching of God’s message flourishedu and increased. And Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch when they had finished their work of servicev in Jerusalem.w And they brought John Markx along with them.


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 The Antioch Community Sends Paul and Barnabas to Preach the Good News In Antioch, in the Christian community there, there were prophets and teachers. There was Barnabas, and Simon (known as Nigera.), Luciusb of Cyrene,c Manaend (who was brought up with Herode the tetrarch), and Saul.


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 And as they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set aside Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work that I’ve called them to do.”


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 Paul and Barnabas Preach the Good News in Cyprus Those two, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia.g From there they sailed off to Cyprus,


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 and were announcing God’s message in Salamish in the Jewish synagogues.i They also had Johnj with them as a helper.


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 When they’d gone through the whole island as far as Paphos,k they discovered a man who was a sorcerer. He was a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.


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 He was with the governor,l Sergius Paulus, who was a smart man. The governor sent for Barnabas and Saul, and asked them if he could hear God’s message.


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 But Elymasm the sorcerer opposed them. (Elymas actually means “sorcerer.”)n He was trying to turn the governoro away from the faith.


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 He said, “You’re full of every kind of deception and trickery, you son of the devil! You’re an enemy of everything right. Do you never stop trying to twist the straight paths of the Sovereign One?


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 And now, look! The Sovereign One’s hand is on you. You’re going to be blind-unable to see the sun for a while.” And right away a fog and a darkness came over him. And he was wandering around and searching for people to lead him by the hand.


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 Paul and Barnabas Preach in Antioch of Pisidia From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia.r John then left them and returned to Jerusalem.


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 But they went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia.s And they went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.


text:
 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent a message to them. It said, “Brothers, if one of you has an encouraging message for the people, speak to us.”


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 So Paul got up and signaled for quiet with his hand. He said, Fellow Israelites, and people who revere God,t listen.


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 The God of this people, Israel, chose our ancestors. And God made our peopleu prosper during their stay in Egypt, and led them out of there with great power.v


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 All of that took about four hundred and fifty years. After that, God gave them judgesaa until Samuel the prophet.


text:
 At that point they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish for forty years. He was a man from the tribe of Benjamin.


text:
 Then God removed him and raised up David as a king for them. It was about David that God testified: I’ve found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He’s going to do all the things I want him to do.bb


text:
 Before his coming, John had announced to all the people of Israel a baptism foree a change of heart.ff


text:
 And when John was finishing his work,gg he used to say, I’m not whathh you think I am! I’m not the One.ii Far from it! He’s coming after me, and I’m not even worthy to untie one of his sandals.jj


text:
 Gentlemen, brothers,kk children of the family of Abraham-and those among you who revere God: the message of this salvation has been sent to us.ll


text:
 Because the people living in Jerusalem and their leaders didn’t recognize him. They condemned him, fulfillingmm the very statementsnn of the prophets that are read aloud every Sabbath!oo


text:
 And when they’d fulfilled all the things that have been written about him, they took him down from the stake and laid him in a tomb.


text:
 He appeared, over a period of days, to the people who had gone up with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These people are now his public witnesses.pp


text:
 God has fulfilled it for us, their children,rr by resurrecting Jesus.ss Just as scripture saystt in the second Psalm, You’re my Son- I’ve become your Father today!uu


text:
 Because God has raised him from among the dead, and he’s never going back to decay. Just as it says, I’m going to give you the holy and sure blessings I promised to David.vv


text:
 Andww it also says in another place, You’re not going to allow your holy one to experience decay.xx


text:
 Now David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, did die. And he was laid beside his ancestors and experienced decay.yy


text:
 So, gentlemen, brothers, you should know thataaa forgiveness of sins is being announced to you through Jesusbbb.-


text:
 forgiveness for all the things you couldn’t get forgivenccc under the Law of Moses. Throughddd him, everyone who believes is found innocent.


text:
 Look, you scoffers- Be amazed, and disappear. Because I myself am doing something in your time- Something you wouldn’t even believe if somebody told you.fff


text:
 When Paul and Barnabas left, the people invited them to talk about these thingsggg on the next Sabbath.


text:
 As the synagogue let out, lots of the Jews and the devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas. They spoke to them and were urging them to stay in God’s grace.


text:
 On the next Sabbath, practically the whole city had gathered to hear the message about the Lord.hhh


text:
 When the Jews saw the crowds, they got full of jealousy. And they were contradicting the things Paul was sayingiii and insulting him.


text:
 But Paul and Barnabas were very bold. They said, “It was important to tell you God’s message first. Since you’re refusing it,jjj and you consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we’re turning to the Gentiles.


text:
 After all, the Lord has commanded us to do so: I have appointed you as a light to the Gentiles: You’re to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.kkk


text:
 When the Gentiles heard that, they were very happy, and were praisinglll the message about the Lord.mmm And those who were chosennnn for eternal life became believers.ooo


text:
 But the Jews stirred up the well-respected religious women and the important men of the city. They instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and kicked them out of their area.


text:
 Paul and Barnabas Preach in Iconium The same thing happened in Iconium.a They went in the Jewish synagogueb and spoke, andc a large number of Jews and of Gentilesd became believers.e


text:
 But the Jews who didn’t believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned themf against the brothers and sisters.


text:
 Nonetheless,g Paul and Barnabas stayed there quite some time, and were very courageous for the Lord.h And the Lord was testifying to the message about his grace by giving grace for miraclesi and wonders to happen through the touch of their hands.


text:
 But the people of the city were divided. Some people sided with the Jews, and others sided with the apostles.


text:
 Finally there was a move from both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to treat them shamefully and stone them.


text:
 When Paul and Barnabas learned about it, they escaped to the towns of Lystraj and Derbek in Lycaonia,l and the area around there.


text:
 Paul and Barnabas Preach in Lystra and Derbe A certain man with paralyzed feet used to sit outdoors in Lystra. He had been crippled from birth, and had never walked.


text:
 This man listened to Paul talking. When Paul looked closely at him, he saw that he had faith to be healed.m


text:
 Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand straight up on your feet!” And he jumped up and started walking around.


text:
 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their localn language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”o


text:
 And the priest of the temple of Zeus, which was right outside the city, brought bulls and flower necklaces to the gates. Together with the crowds, he was getting ready to offer a sacrifice.


text:
 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd. They were shouting,


text:
 “Men, why are you doing this? We’re human beings just the same as you! We’re bringing you the good news, so that you’ll turn away from useless idols like these to the Living God- the God who made heaven,r earth and sea, and everything in them.s


text:
 All the same, God has certainly provided proof of being realu.-by doing good things like giving you the rains from heaven, and the harvest seasons. God satisfies your hearts with food and with happiness.”


text:
 Even when they said all that, Paul and Barnabas barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.


text:
 Paul is Nearly Stoned to Death Later,v Jews came over from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and started dragging him out of the city-they thought he was dead.


text:
 But the followers of Jesus got in a circle around him, and he got up and went into the city. The next day, he left with Barnabas for Derbe.


text:
 Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria After they’d brought the good news to that city, and had made quite a few converts, they went back to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch.


text:
 They were strengthening the followers,w encouraging them to stay in the faith. And they were saying, “We have to go through lots of sufferingsx to enter God’s reign.”


text:
 They also appointed elders for them in each community. When they’d prayed and fasted,y they handed them over into the care of the Lord they had come to trust.


text:
 From there they sailed off to Antioch,dd the place where they had first been entrusted to the grace of God for this work. They were finished.ee


text:
 When they arrived, they got the community together. And they began telling them about all the things God had done with them-howff God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.


text:
 A Conference in Jerusalem about the Status of Gentile Believers Thena some people came down from Judeab and were teaching the brothers and sisters that “Unless you’re circumcised according to the custom handed down from Moses,c you can’t be saved.”


text:
 And there was a big disagreementd and debate between Paul and Barnabas and the people visiting from Jerusalem.e So the brothers and sisters appointedf Paul and Barnabas, and certain other members of the community,g to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.


text:
 So when they’d been sent on their journey by the community, they went through Phoeniciah and Samaria. As they went, they were telling the story of the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gavei a lot of joy to all the brothers and sisters.


text:
 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the community and by the apostles and elders. And they toldj them all the things God had done with them.


text:
 But certain believers, who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees,k got up and were saying, “You have to circumcisel them, and command them to keep the Law of Moses.”


text:
 And after much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Gentlemen, brothers!n You know what happened with uso back in the early days: God chose to have the Gentiles hear the message of the good news from my mouth-and to become believers.p


text:
 And God, who knows people’s hearts, testified on their behalf, by giving them the Holy Spirit, just like us.


text:
 So why are you testing God now? Why are you trying to put a yoke on the necks of the followers-one that neither our ancestors nor ourselves have been strong enough to bear?


text:
 No, we believe that it’s through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we’re saved, just the same way they are.”


text:
 Then the whole crowd got quiet, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul. They were describing all the miraclesq and wonders God had done through them while they were with the Gentiles.r


text:
 Simont has described how God first visited the Gentiles, and acceptedu from them a people for God’s name.


text:
 After this I’m going to come back, And I’m going to rebuild David’s tent that’s fallen down. I’m going to rebuild its ruins and restore it,


text:
 So that the restw of humanityx will search for the Sovereign One- All the Gentilesy who are called by my name.z. The Sovereign One, who is doing all this, says so.aa


text:
 So my judgment is that we shouldn’tcc make things more difficult for people who are turning to God from among the Gentiles.


text:
 We should just instruct them to stay away from things that have been polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things that have been strangled, and from blood.dd


text:
 After all, Moses has had people to preach him in every city from ancient times.ee He’s read aloud in the synagoguesff every Sabbath.”


text:
 The Apostles and Elders of Jerusalem Send a Letter to the Gentile Believers Then it seemed appropriate to the apostles and elders, together with the whole community, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (known as Barsabbasgg.) and Silas, both leaders among the brothers and sisters.


text:
 Then they sent them with this letter:hh. From the apostles and elders, your brothers. Greetings to the Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.ii


text:
 We’ve heard that certain ones of us have gone upjj and upset you with their teaching,kk and have disturbed your peace of mind.ll


text:
 It has seemed appropriate to us and to the Holy Spirit not to put any further burden on you than just these necessary items:


text:
 Stay away from foods sacrificed to idols, from eating blood, from eating what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep away from these things, you’ll do fine. Stay well!


text:
 So then they were sent on their way, and went upnn to Antioch. And they gathered the community together and delivered the letter.


text:
 Judas and Silas, who were prophets, also said a lot of things to strengthen and encourage the brothers and sisters.


text:
 And when they had spent some time with them, they left the brothers and sisters and returned in peace to Jerusalem.pp


text:
 But Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch. They were teaching and preaching the good news of the Lord along with lots of other people.


text:
 After an Argument, Paul Goes with Silas and Barnabas Goes with Mark After some time,qq Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in each city where we preached the message of the Lord, and see how they’re doing.”


text:
 But Paul thought it was best not to take him along, because he had leftrr them in Pamphylia,ss and hadn’t been with them for the work.


text:
 This got to be such a painful dispute that they ended up going their separate ways. Barnabas took Mark and set sail for Cyprus.


text:
 And Paul chose Silas, and after the brothers and sisters had entrusted them to the grace of the Lord,


text:
 Timothy Joins Paul and Silas in Lystra Paul also came to Derbea and to Lystra.b In Lystra, there was a followerc named Timothy. He was the son of a believing Jewish woman and a non-Jewishd father.


text:
 Paul wanted Timothy to go with him. So he took him and had him circumcised,f because of the Jews that were in that placeg.-they all knew that his father was a non-Jew.h


text:
 And as they were going from town to town, they were passing on to them the rules that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, for people to follow.


text:
 And so the communities were being strengthened in their faith, and their numbers were getting bigger every day.


text:
 Paul Sees a Vision: “Come Over to Macedonia and Help us Out!” Next they traveled through the area of Phrygiai and Galatia,j because they’d been forbidden by the Holy Spirit from preachingk in Asia.


text:
 And after going along the borders of Mysia,l they were trying to go into Bithynia,m but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t let them.


text:
 And during the night, a vision cameo to Paul. A Macedonianp man was standing there and pleading with him. He was saying, “Come over to Macedoniaq and help us out!”


text:
 When he saw that vision, we tried right away to leave for Macedonia. We were convinced God had invited usr to preach the good news to the Macedonians.


text:
 Lydia Becomes a Believer in Philippi, Macedonia So we set out from Troas and sailed straight to Samothrace,s and the next day we got to Neapolis.t


text:
 From there we went to Philippi,u which is a leading cityv in the district of Macedonia. It’s a Roman colony.w


text:
 And on the Sabbath day, we went outside the gate and along the river. We thought there was supposed to be prayer going on there.x So we sat down and were talking with the women who had gathered there.


text:
 One of them was a devout woman of God named Lydia, a seller of purple cloth who came from the city of Thyatira.y She was listening, and the Lord opened her heart to pay close attention to the things Paul was saying.


text:
 When she and the people in her household had gotten baptized, she invited us home. She was saying, “If you’ve foundz me to be faithful to the Lord, come stay at my house.” And she made us go home with her.


text:
 Paul and Silas are Arrested and Imprisoned at Philippi Once when we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of demonic prophecy. She used to make a lot of moneyaa for her owners by telling fortunes.


text:
 This girl used to follow along behind Paul and the rest of us and shout, “These people are servants of the highest God!bb They’re telling youcc about the path of salvation!”


text:
 And she kept on doing that for several days. Finally Paul got so irritated that he turned around and said to the spirit,dd “I’m telling you in the name of Jesus Christ, come out of her!” And it came out right away.ee


text:
 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.


text:
 They brought them in front of the Roman officialsff and said, “These people are Jews, and they’re totally upsetting our city!


text:
 They’re tellinggg people to observe religious customs that we are not allowed to accept or practice as Romans.”


text:
 And the crowd joined in the attack against them. Then the Roman officialshh had them stripped, and gave the order for them to be beaten with wooden rods.


text:
 And when they had given them a severe beating,ii they threw them in prison. And they gave orders to the prison warden to guard them carefully.


text:
 Since he had that sort of order, he put them in the innermost part of the prison and clamped their ankles between wooden boards.jj


text:
 About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.


text:
 And suddenly there was a big earthquake. It was so big that the foundations of the prison got shifted. And immediately all the doors came open, and everyone’s restraints came loose.


text:
 And when the warden woke up and saw all the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself.kk (He was assuming that the prisoners had escaped.)


text:
 And the warden called for lights and rushed in. Trembling, he threw himself down in front of Paul and Silas.


text:
 And while it was still the middle of the night,nn he took them and washed their wounds, and he immediately got baptized---he and all his people.oo


text:
 Then he led them back to the house and fixed them a meal.pp And he was overjoyed-together with his entire household-that he had come to believe in God.


text:
 When morning came, the Roman officialsqq sent their officersrr with the message, “Release those people.”


text:
 And the warden reported all this to Paul: “The Roman officialsss have sent their officerstt to have you released. So now be released, and go on your way in peace.”uu


text:
 But Paul said to them, “They’ve beaten us-Roman citizens-in public without a trial, and have thrown us in prison. And now they’re going to toss us out quietly? Oh, no-definitely not. Let them come personally and show us out of the prison.”


text:
 So the officersvv sent this message to the Roman officials.ww They were afraid when they heard that Paul and his companions were Roman citizens,


text:
 and they came and begged them to accept their apology. And when the Roman officialsxx had shown them out of the prison, they kept asking them to leave the city.


text:
 But when they had gotten out of prison they went to Lydia’s house. And after they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters, they left Philippi.


text:
 A Riot in Thessalonica When they had gone through Amphipolisa and Apollonia,b they came to Thessalonica.c There was a Jewish synagogue there.


text:
 And as usual, Paul went to it.d And over three Sabbaths he discussed things out of the scriptures with them.


text:
 He was explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and be raised from among the dead. And he was saying, “This Jesus that I’m proclaiming to you is the Messiah!”


text:
 Some of the Jews were persuaded, and they joined Paul and Silas, and so did a large number of devout Gentiles,e and quite a few important women.


text:
 But the Jews got jealous. They recruited some nasty charactersf from the marketplace, got a mob together, and set about disrupting the whole city. They even besieged Jason’s house, intending to bring Paul and Silas in front of the city assembly.g


text:
 When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and some other believersh in front of the city authorities. They were shouting, “These people have been disrupting the whole world, and now they’re here, too!


text:
 Jason has taken them in. These people are all acting against Caesar’s laws. They’re saying there’s another king, Jesus.”


text:
 Paul and Silas Preach in Berea And the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas off that very nightj to Berea.k When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.


text:
 And those folks were more fair-mindedl than the folks in Thessalonica. They accepted the message with total enthusiasm. Every day they were studying the scriptures to see if Paul’s claims were true.m


text:
 But theno the Jews from Thessalonica found out that Paul was announcing God’s message in Berea too. And they came and stirred up the crowds there as well.


text:
 But the brothers and sisters quickly sent Paul away to the coast. (Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.)


text:
 The people who were responsible for protecting Paul on his journey brought him as far as Athens. Then they headed back, with instructions for Silas and Timothy: come to Paul as quickly as they could.p


text:
 Paul Stays in Athens-And Gets an Opportunity to Preach Meanwhile, Paul stayed in Athens waiting for them. And his spirit kept getting provoked in him, seeing the city so full of idols.


text:
 But he was having discussions in the Jewish synagogue,q and would also talk with the devout Gentiles.r And every day in the marketplace, he’d talk with whoever happened to be there.


text:
 Even some Epicureans and Stoic philosophers would have deep discussions with him. And some people would say, “What is this quack philosophert trying to say?” Others would say, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign gods"—because he was telling the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.


text:
 So they took him and led him to the Athens education council.u They said, “We’d like to hear about this new teaching you’ve been talking about.v


text:
 The ideas we’re hearing from you are a bit unfamiliar to us, so we’d like to know what they’re about.”w


text:
 (All Atheniansx.---and their foreign visitors-spend their time doing nothing but telling or hearing something new.)


text:
 So Paul stood up in front of the education councily and said, Gentlemen of Athens, I see that you are extremely religious in every way.


text:
 Because as I’ve been going through your city and looking at your objects of worship, I’ve even found an altar with these words carved on it:z “To an Unknown God.” So what you’re worshiping without knowledge, I’m going to proclaim to you.


text:
 God, who made the world and everything in it, is the Sovereign of heaven and earth. God doesn’t live in temples made by human hands,


text:
 and God isn’t served by human hands-as if God needed something. No, it is God who givesaa life, breath, and everything else to everyone.


text:
 And God made every human nation from one person,bb so that they’d live acrosscc the whole face of the earth. God had already decided their set times, and the limits on the places they would live.


text:
 They were to search for God, and perhaps even reach outdd and find God. And in fact, God isn’t far away from anyee one of us.


text:
 After all, it’s in God that we live and move and exist.ff As some of your poets have put it, We are God’s children.gg


text:
 So, since we’re God’s children, we shouldn’t suppose that divinity is like gold or silver or stone-like a sculpture produced by human skill and imagination.


text:
 So although God has overlooked human ignorance in the past, God is now telling all people everywhere to change their hearts.hh


text:
 Because God has set a day to judge the world with justice, through a man that God has appointed. And God has given assurance of this to everyone by raising him from among the dead.


text:
 Now, when they heard about resurrection of dead people, some people started sneering. But others said, “We’d like to hear from you about this again.”


text:
 And some men stuck with him and became believers,jj for example Dionysiuskk the Areopagite. There was also a woman named Damaris,ll and some other people as well.


text:
 Therea he met a Jew named Aquila,b who was from Pontus. Aquila had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. They had had to move because of the emperor Claudius’s order that all the Jews had to leave Rome. Paul visited Aquila and Priscilla,


text:
 and because he had the same trade, he was staying with them and working. (They were tentmakers by trade.)


text:
 And he used to have discussions with people in the synagoguec every Sabbath, and he was persuading both Jews and Gentiles.d


text:
 Then, when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,e Paul began to give all of his attention to preaching the good news.f He kept testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.g


text:
 But when they opposed him and insulted him, he tore his clothes and said to them, “Your blood is on your own heads-it’s not on my hands.h From now on I’m going to the Gentiles.”


text:
 And he left there and went to the house of a person named Titius Justus, whose house was next door to the synagogue.


text:
 Crispus the synagogue leader also became a believer in the Lord, together with his whole household. And lots of Corinthians were becoming believers when they heard the message, and were getting baptized.


text:
 And in a vision one night, the Lord said to Paul, “Don’t be afraid at all-keep speaking out, and don’t be quiet!


text:
 Now, while Gallio was the governork of Achaia,l the Jews all got together and attacked Paul. And they brought him up to the governor’s judgment bench.


text:
 They were claiming that “This man is persuading people to worship God in a way that’s against the law!”


text:
 And just as Paul was about to open his mouth to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If this were about some injustice or evil crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable to hear your case.


text:
 But since it’s about disputes about words and names and your own law, deal with thatm yourselves. I have no desire to be a judge of those things.”


text:
 Then they all took hold of Sosthenesn the leader of the synagogue, and started beating him up right in front of the judgment bench. But none of thato made any difference to Gallio.


text:
 Paul Returns a Second Time to Antioch in Syria Despite that trouble, Paul stayed with the brothers and sisters in Corinth quite a few more days. Then he said goodbye to them and sailed to Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila went with him. Paul cut his hair in Cenchreae,p because he was keeping a vow.


text:
 They came ashore at Ephesus,q and Paul parted company with them there. Then he went to the synagogue by himself and had discussions with the Jews.


text:
 He said his goodbyes, and was saying, “I’ll come back to you again if God wills.”r Then he sailed from Ephesus


text:
 and came ashore at Caesarea.s After he had gone up and said hello to the community in Jerusalem, he traveledt to Antioch in Syria.


text:
 And after spending some time there, he left and went town by townu through Galatiav and Phrygia,w strengthening all the followers.


text:
 Apollos Preaches and Teaches in Ephesus and Corinth A Jew named Apollosx.-an educatedy man from Alexandria-arrived in Ephesus.z He was a powerful teacher ofaa the scriptures.


text:
 Apollos had been taught the Way of the Lord,bb and was on firecc with the Spirit. He used to speak and teach accurately about Jesus, but only knew about the baptism of John.


text:
 He had begun talking openly in the synagoguedd about Jesus, and Priscilla and Aquila heard him. So they took him aside and explained the Wayee to him more accurately.


text:
 He also wanted to go over to Achaia,ff and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to do it. They wrote to the followers that they should welcome him. When he got there, he was a great help to those who had become believers by God’s grace.


text:
 Because he thoroughlygg refuted the Jews in public, and demonstrated with the scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.hh


text:
 Paul Preaches and Teaches in Ephesus While Apollosa was in Corinth, Paul traveled through places far inland from the sea, and came to Ephesusb.. He found some followers there


text:
 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”c And they told him, “No-we haven’t even heard there is a Holy Spirit.”


text:
 So Paul said, “John baptized people with a baptism for a change of heart.e He used to tell the people to believe in the One who was coming after him-which is to say, he wanted them to believe in Jesus.


text:
 Then Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came over them, and they began to speak in other languagesf and prophesy.


text:
 Paul also went into the synagogue, and was speaking openly over a period of about three months. He was having discussions and trying to persuade people about God’s reign.


text:
 But theng some people started getting stubborn and disobedient. They were insulting the Way in front of the congregation. So Paul split off from them and kept the followers separate. He was teachingh every day in the school of Tyrannus.i


text:
 This went on over a period of two years, until everyone in Asia had heard the Lord’s message-Jews and Gentiles alike.


text:
 It even got to the point that handkerchiefs and towelsj that had touched his skin were taken to the sick, and their illnesses left them. Evil spirits would leave too.


text:
 And some of the traveling Jewish exorcists even tried naming the name of the Lord Jesus over people who had evil spirits. They’d say, “I command you, by the Jesus that Paul preaches!”


text:
 And the man that the evil spirit was in pounced on them, and he defeatedl and overpowered all of them. They finally ran away from his house nakedm and wounded.


text:
 This story became known to everyone in Ephesus-Jews and Gentiles alike. And it frightened them all,n and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be a lot more respected.o


text:
 And lots of the people who had become believers started publicly confessing and revealing their magic rituals.


text:
 Quite a few of those who practiced magic gathered their books together and burned them in front of everyone. (They calculated their value and found they had been worth fifty thousand silver coins.p


text:
 A Riot in Ephesus After all of this had happened, Paul decided in the Spirits to travel through Macedoniat and Achaia,u and go to Jerusalem. He was saying, “After I get there, I have to see Rome, too.”


text:
 And he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia. But he stayed a while in Asia.v


text:
 There was a silversmith named Demetrius,x who used to make silver shrines for the goddess Artemis. He used to bring in quite a bit of businessy for the craftspeople that way.


text:
 He got them together with the people in related trades and said, “Gentlemen, you know that our wealthz comes from this business.


text:
 And you’re seeing and hearing that this Paul has converted and led astray a large crowd-not just in Ephesus, but in practically all of Asia. He’s been saying that hand-crafted godsaa aren’t real gods.


text:
 Now, this not only threatens to bring our trade a bad reputation-it also threatens to make people despise the temple of our great goddess Artemis.bb The goddess that all of Asia and the whole world worships is about to be brought down from her position of greatness!”


text:
 Now, when they heard that, they got completely furious. And they started shouting, “Artemis of the Ephesians is great!”


text:
 And the whole city was filled with confusion. They all rushed to the stadium, kidnapping Gaiuscc and Aristarchusdd of Macedonia, Paul’s traveling companions.


text:
 And even some of the officials of the regionee who were friendly towards him sent messages to him, begging him not to go into the stadium.


text:
 Because the city meeting was in confusion-with some people shouting one thing, and some other people shouting something else. The majority of them didn’t even know the reason why they’d been brought together.


text:
 When the Jews pushed Alexander up to the front, some people from the crowd told him what to say.ff Alexander motioned with his hand for quiet, and began trying to give an explanation to the crowd.


text:
 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single chant came from all of them for about two hours. They were shouting, “Artemis of the Ephesians is great!”


text:
 Finallygg the secretary of the city quieted the crowd and said, “Men of Ephesus, whohh is there that doesn’t know the city of Ephesus-temple-guardian of the great Artemis, and of her image that fell from heaven?


text:
 After all, you’ve brought these men here, who aren’t temple robbers, nor have they insulted our goddess.ii


text:
 So if Demetrius and his fellow craftspeople have a complaint against somebody, the courts are open and there are governors.jj They can settle it between themselves.kk


text:
 After all, we’re actually in danger of being charged with rioting over today’s affair. Because there’s no real reason we can give as an explanationll for this disorderly gathering.” And after saying all that,mm he closed the meeting.


text:
 Paul Goes to Macedonia and Greece After the commotion died down, Paul sent for the followers and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye and left to go to Macedonia.


text:
 And he went through those regions and gave many encouraging messages to the followers.a Then he arrived in Greece,


text:
 and spent three months there. Then there was a secret plan against him by the Jews, just as he was about to set sail for Syria. So he decided to go back through Macedonia.


text:
 Sopaterb the son of Pyrrhus,c from Berea,d Aristarchuse and Secundusf from Thessalonica, Gaiusg and Timothy from Derbe,h and Tychicusi and Trophimusj from Asia, all went with him.


text:
 Then we sailed out of Philippil after the festivalm of Unleavened Bread,n and came to them in Troas after five days. We stayed there for seven days.


text:
 Paul Visits the Community at Troas On the first day of the week we got together for a meal,o and Paul was teachingp them. He was going to leave the next day, and he kept on talking into the middle of the night.


text:
 And there was a young man named Eutychusq sitting on the window sill. He was falling into a deep sleep as Paul went on teaching at length. When he’d fallen asleep, he fell down from the third floor. They picked him up, and he was dead.r


text:
 But Paul went downstairs, threw himself on top of him, and hugged him. Then he said, “Don’t be upset-he’s still with us.”s


text:
 And when Paul had gone back upstairs, he had a meal.t When he had finished eating, he talked quite a bit more, until sunrise. After that he left.u


text:
 Sailing from Troas to Miletus We got on board ship and sailed for Assos. At that pointv we were going to take Paul on board: that’s how he had arranged it. He himself was going to go by land.


text:
 Then we sailed off from there, and the next day we came opposite Chios,x and the day after that we came over to Samos,y and the next day we went to Miletus.z


text:
 Paul, by the way, had decided that we should sail past Ephesus, so that he wouldn’t lose time in Asia. Because he was hurryingaa to be in Jerusalem for the Day of Pentecost, if possible.


text:
 Paul’s Farewell Speech to the Elders of the Ephesian Community So from Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus, and asked the elders of the community to come to him.


text:
 When they got to him, he said to them, You all know what I was like the whole time I was with you-from the first day I set foot in Asia.


text:
 I was serving the Lord with complete humility and tears. And you know the pressures I experienced because of the secret plans that the Jews made against me.bb


text:
 You know that I never held back anything that was to your advantage: I always preached to you and taught you, both in public and in all your houses.cc


text:
 I testified to Jews and Gentilesdd alike about a change of heartee and turning towards God,ff and about faith in our Lord Jesus.gg


text:
 And now I’ve been bound by the Spirit to gohh to Jerusalem-I don’t know what will happen to me there.


text:
 But I do knowii that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city and says that imprisonmentjj and troubles are waiting for me.


text:
 But I don’t regard my life as precious to me at all-as long as I finish my race, and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus: to testify to the good news of the grace of God.


text:
 And now I know that none of you is going to see my face again. I have gone around preaching God’s reign in your presence.kk


text:
 Watch out for yourselves, and for the whole flock that the Holy Spirit has placed you in as pastors.nn Shepherd the community of God, which God acquired with the blood of God’s own Son.oo


text:
 I know that after I leave vicious wolves are going to come in among you, and they’re not going to sparepp the flock.


text:
 So keep watch! Remember: day and night for three years I never stopped warningrr each one of youss with tears.


text:
 And now I’m entrusting you to God,tt and to the message of God’s grace. That message has the power to build you up and to give you your inheritance with all the holy ones.


text:
 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me.


text:
 I’ve always demonstrated to you that we should help the weak by working hard like that. And we should remember the Lord Jesus’ words, how he himself said, “It’s a bigger blessingvv to give than to receive.”


text:
 They were saddest about his statementxx that they were never going to see his face again. Then they went with him to the ship.


text:
 Paul Travels to Jerusalem Eventually we set sail, after a very reluctant parting.a We did a straight run and came to Cos,b and on the next day we got to Rhodes. From there we sailed to Patara.c


text:
 After sighting Cyprus and leaving it behind us on the left, we began sailing for Syria, and landed at Tyre-the ship was unloading its cargo there.


text:
 We tracked down the followers of Jesus and stayed seven days there. And they were saying to Paul by the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.


text:
 When our days with them were over, we left and started walking to the ship, and they all escorted us out from the city, with their wives and children. And when we’d knelt down on the beach and prayed,


text:
 When we’d finished the voyage from Tyre and arrived at Ptolemais,e we said hello to the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.


text:
 The next day we left and came to Caesarea.f Thereg we went to Philip the evangelist’s house, and stayed with him. (He was one of the seven.)h


text:
 He came up to us and took Paul’s belt, and tied up his own hands and feet. Then he said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘This is how the Jewish leadersn are going to tie up the man who owns this belt in Jerusalem-and they’re going to betray him to Gentile authorities.’”o


text:
 Then Paul said back to us, “What are you doing, crying and breaking my heart? After all, I’m not just prepared to be imprisoned,q but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”


text:
 The followers from Caesarea went with us too, and led us to a man named Mnason’ss house to stay. He was a long-time follower from Cyprus.


text:
 Paul Visits James, the Lord’s Brother in Jerusalem When we got to Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters gave us a warm welcome.


text:
 Paul said hello to them all, and spent time giving them a detailed report of everythingt God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.


text:
 When they heard his report, the started praising God. They said to him, “Brother, you can see how many tens of thousands of Jewish believers there are.u And they’re all passionate about the law.


text:
 They’ve been told about you that you teach all the Jews living among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses. They say you tell people not to circumcisev their children or to practice the Jewish customs.


text:
 Take them with you and get purified with them. And pay for them so they can get their hair cut. Thenz everybody will know that there’s nothing in what they’ve been told about you. They’ll know that you’re personally committed to keeping the Law.aa


text:
 And as for the Gentiles who have become believers,bb we’ve sent off a letter with our decision that they should keep away from foods sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what’s been strangled,cc and from sexual immorality.”


text:
 The next day Paul took the men and got purified with them. Then he went into the Temple, and told the priests when the period of purification would be finished.dd (At that time the offering would be made for each them.)


text:
 Paul is Arrested in the Temple But when the seven days were almost finished, the Jews from Asia saw him in the Temple and stirred up the whole crowd. They grabbed himee


text:
 and were shouting, “Brotherff Israelites, help us! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere things against this people, the Law, and the Temple!gg He has even brought Gentileshh into the Temple! He has made this holy place unholy!”


text:
 (They said this because they had seen Trophimusii the Ephesian with Paul in the city. They were assuming that Paul had brought him into the Temple.)


text:
 The whole city was upset, and the people all rushed together and grabbed Paul. They started dragging him out of the Temple, and immediately the doors were shut behind them.


text:
 And they were demanding Paul’s death. But word got to the Roman military commanderjj that Jerusalem was rioting.


text:
 Right away he took a band of soldiers and officers with him and ran down to where they were. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.


text:
 Then the commander came up and took hold of Paul, and ordered him shackled with two chains. And he started asking, “Who is this, and what has he done?”


text:
 And various people in the crowd were shouting one thing and another. And he couldn’t get a definite answer because of the commotion. So he ordered for Paul to be brought to the fortress.


text:
 And when Paul was on the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers due to the violence of the crowd.


text:
 As they were about to go into the fortress, Paul said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” And the commander said, “Do you know Greek?


text:
 So I guess you’re not that Egyptian-the one who started a riot recently, and led those four thousand assassins off into the wilderness?”


text:
 And Paul said, “I’m a Jew from Tarsus in Ciliciakk.-I’m a citizen of quite a major city.ll And I’m asking you, please give me permission to speak to the people.”


text:
 And he gave him permission. Paul stood on the steps and got things to quiet down by gesturing to the people with his hand. When it was prettymm quiet, he addressed them in the Hebrew language:nn


text:
 Paul Defends his Faith and Ministry “Brothers, fathers! Listen to my defense, which I’m now going to present to you.”


text:
 Now when they heard that Paul was addressing them in the Hebrew language,a they got even quieter. And he said,


text:
 “I’m a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia. But I was brought up here in this city, and studied withb Gamaliel.c I’ve been thoroughlyd trained in the Law of our ancestors. I was a person passionate for God, just like all of you are today.


text:
 I persecuted this Way, and killed its followers.e I was arresting men and women and putting them in prison.f


text:
 The high priest and whole high councilg will testify to what I’m saying.h I had received letters from them to our brothers in Damascus, and was going up there. I was going to bring those who were in prisoni there to Jerusalem, so they could be punished.”


text:
 Paul Tells of his Conversion (Acts 9:1-19a; 26:12-18) Now, I was traveling along and getting near Damascus-it was about noon. Suddenly, a bright light flashed around me from heaven.


text:
 And I answered, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said to me, “I am Jesus of Nazareth. I’m the one you’re persecuting.”


text:
 Now, the people with me saw the light. But they didn’t understandj the voice of the One who was speaking to me.


text:
 I said, “What should I do, Lord?” And the Lord said to me, “Get up and go into Damascus. There you’ll be told everything that you’ve been appointed to do.”


text:
 And I couldn’t see, after the brilliancek of that light. So I came into Damascus being led by the hand by the people I was with.


text:
 Thenl a man named Ananiasm came to me. He was a devout person who kept the Law.n He was well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there.o


text:
 And he said, “The God of our ancestors chose you to know God’s will-and to see the Just One and hear his very voice.q


text:
 That’s because you’re going to be a witness for him. You’ll tell all people what you’ve seen and heard.


text:
 So now what are you waiting for? Get up and get baptized-get your sins washed away by calling on his name.”r


text:
 Paul Tells How Jesus Sent him to the Gentiles Now, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the Temple, I went into a dream state.s


text:
 And I saw Jesus saying to me, “Hurry-leave Jerusalem right away! They’re not going to accept your testimony about me.”


text:
 And I said, “Lord, they know that I’ve been putting the people who believe in you in prison, and having them beatent in one synagogueu after another!


text:
 And when your witness Stephen’s blood was being shed, I personally stood there approving of it. I even looked after the coats of the people who were killing him!”


text:
 Paul Narrowly Escapes being Tortured Now, they had been listening to Paul until he made that statement. But now they all shouted, “Execute him! A person like him should be wiped off the face of the earth!v He shouldn’t be allowed to live!”


text:
 The commander gave the order to bring Paul inside the fortress. He had given the order for him to be questioned under torture, to find out the reason they’d been shouting about him.w


text:
 But when they had stretched him out to be whipped,x Paul said to the Roman officery standing there, “Are you allowed to whip a person who is a Roman citizen without even a trial?”


text:
 And when the officerz heard that, he came up to the commander and told him what Paul had said. He said, “What are you going to do? This person is a Roman citizen!”


text:
 And the commander came over to Paul and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.”


text:
 And the commander said back to him, “I acquired my Roman citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “Well, I was born into it.”


text:
 Then the people who were about to tortureaa Paul immediately stepped away from him. And the commander was frightened too-he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen, and he had put him in chains.


text:
 Paul Appears in Front of the High Council On the next day he released Paul, because he wanted to find out what the Jews were accusing him of. He ordered the chief priests and the whole high council to come together. Then he brought Paul down and stood him in front of them.bb


text:
 Paul looked straight at the high council and said, “Gentlemen, brothers!a I’ve lived my life with a completely clear conscienceb towards God, right up to this day.”


text:
 Then Paul said to him, “God’s going to hit you, you whitewashed wall! Are you really going to sit there and judge med according to the Law, and break the Law by ordering me to be hit?”


text:
 And Paul said, “Brothers, I didn’t know that he is the high priest. Because scripture says,f ‘You’re not to say bad thingsg about a leader of your people.’”h


text:
 Now, Paul knew that some of them were Sadduceesi and others were Pharisees.j He started shouting in the council, “Gentlemen, brothers!k I am a Pharisee, and a son of Pharisees. I’m on trial about my hope in the resurrection of the dead!”


text:
 And when he said that, a disagreement arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the group was split in two.


text:
 Because Sadducees say there is no such thing as resurrection or an angel or a spirit. But Pharisees agree that all three exist.


text:
 There was all kinds of shouting,l and some of the scripture experts who belonged to the Pharisees stood up and started insisting, “We find nothing wrong with this person! Maybe a spirit, or an angel, has spoken to him!”


text:
 The disagreement became so violentm that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn in two.n He ordered his soldiers to go down and snatch Paul out of there,o and take him to the fortress.


text:
 On the following night, the Lord came to Paul and said, “Keep your courage up. Just as you’ve testified to the truthp about me in Jerusalem, you also have to testify in Rome.”


text:
 Forty Men Vow to Ambush Paul and Kill him When morning came, some of the Judeansq made a secret plan. They put themselves under a curse if they ate or drank anything before they had killed Paul.


text:
 They all came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We’ve put ourselves under a curse so that we can’t eat anything until we kill Paul.


text:
 So now you and the council need to explain things to the commander in such a way that he brings him down to you. Pretend that you want to consider his case in greater detail.r But we’re ready to kill him before he gets here.”s


text:
 Now, Paul’s sister’s son heard about the trap. He came up and was let intot the fortress, and told Paul about it.


text:
 Paul then called one of the Roman officersu and said, “Take this young man to the commander. He has something to report to him.”


text:
 So he took him and led him to the commander and said, “The prisoner Paul called me over and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.”


text:
 The commander took the boy by the hand and went someplace private. He asked him, “What is it that you have to report to me?”


text:
 And he said, “The Judeansv have agreed to make a request of you tomorrow, so that you bring Paul down to the high council. The pretext will be that the council wantsw to ask in a bit more detail about him.


text:
 Don’t believe them!x More than forty of their men are waiting to ambush him. They’ve put themselves under a curse so that they can’t eat or drink until they’ve killed him. And now they are ready and waiting for your agreement.”y


text:
 The Commander Sends Paul to Felix the Governor So then the commander let the young man go, after giving him a strict order: “Don’t tell anyone that you revealed this to me.”


text:
 Thenz he called over two of his officersaa and said, “Get two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmenbb ready to march to Caesarea starting at nine o’clock tonight.


text:
 This man was arrested by the Judeansee and was about to be killed by them. When I learned that he was a Roman citizen, I went with my soldiers and rescued him.


text:
 I found that he was being accused in relation to disputes about their own Law-there wasn’t any accusation against him that deserved death or imprisonment.


text:
 And when I learned that there was a plot against the man, I immediately sent him to you.ff And I’ve instructed his accusers to make their case against him to you.”gg


text:
 The horsemen went to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, and they brought Paul to him.


text:
 The governor read the letter, and he asked what province Paul came from. He learned he came from Cilicia.jj


text:
 “I’ll hear your case,”kk he said, “when the people who are accusing you are present too.” And he ordered him to be held in Herod’sll palace.


text:
 Paul Stands Trial in Front of Felix After five days, the high priest Ananias came down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyera named Tertullus.b They all appeared in front of the governor to make their case against Paul.c


text:
 So Paul was summoned, and Tertullus began to accuse him. He said to the governor,  “We’ve had a long time of peace thanks to your governorship.d And lots of reforms have come about in this nation thanks to your foresight.


text:
 And we certainly do not wish to interrupt you at length-but I’d like to ask your indulgence in hearing us for a brief moment.f


text:
 We are here before you because we have found this man to be a public nuisance. He’s been stirring up arguments with all the Jews throughout the Roman Empire. He’s a leader of the sect of the Nazarenes.g


text:
 When the governor nodded for him to speak, Paul gave his response. “Since you’ve been a judge in this nation for many years, I’m happy to offer a defense of myself.


text:
 And I wasn’t found arguing with anyone or attracting a crowd-not in the Temple, in the synagogues,k or around the city.


text:
 But I will admit this to you: I serve the God of our ancestors as a follower ofm the Way. (They’re calling it a ‘sect.’) I follow the Way because I believe everything that’s written in the Law and the prophets.n


text:
 I’m putting my hope in God-just as my accusers themselves areo.-that there’s going to be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.p


text:
 Now, after many years away, I came to Jerusalem. I was bringing money to the poor people of my nation. I also intended to make offerings in the Temple.


text:
 I was found making those offerings in a ceremonially pure state.q There was no crowd or disturbance involved.


text:
 Now, there were some Jews from Asia-but they ought to be here in front of you if they have something against me.


text:
 Otherwise these people herer should say what crime they discovereds when I was tried byt the high council.


text:
 Or is it about that one single thing I said, when I stood on trial in front of them and shouted, ‘I’m being judged by you today over the resurrection of the dead’?”


text:
 Then Felix adjournedu the trial. He was already well informed about the Way. He said, “I’ll decide your case when Lysias the commander comes.”


text:
 And he ordered the Roman officerv to guard Paul, but that he should have freedom to move around. The officer wasn’t to prevent any of Paul’s friendsw from taking care of his needs.


text:
 Felix Leaves Paul in Prison for Two Years After a number of days, Felix came with his wife Drusilla,x who was Jewish. He sent for Paul, and listened to him talk about faith in Messiah Jesus.y


text:
 But when Paul was teaching about integrity and self-control, and about the coming judgment, Felix got frightened. And he said back to him, “Leave for now. And when I get the time I’ll send for you.”


text:
 And after two years he was replaced as governor by Porciusz Festus. And Felix left Paul imprisoned, as a way of gaining favor with the Judeans.aa


text:
 Festus (Successor to Felix) Looks into Paul’s Case So then Festus arrived in the province, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.a


text:
 And they were pleading with Festus to grant them a favor against him: to have him transferred to Jerusalem. Because they had made a secret plan to kill him on the way.


text:
 But Festus replied that Paul was being held at Caesarea, and that he himself was just about to leave for there.


text:
 He said, “So let your most capable people come down with me. If there is anything wrong about the man, they can bring charges against him.”


text:
 Paul Appeals his Case to Caesar So after spending no more than eight or ten days in Jerusalem Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he held a hearingc and ordered for Paul to be brought in.


text:
 When he arrived, the Judeans who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They made many seriousd charges against him, which they couldn’t prove.


text:
 Paul defended himself by saying, “I haven’t sinned in any way against the Jewish Law, against the Temple, or against Caesar.”


text:
 But Festus wanted to gain favor with the Judeans. He said back to Paul, “Are you willing to go to up Jerusalem, and be tried on these charges in front of me there?”


text:
 And Paul said, “I’m standing in Caesar’s court, where I should be tried. I’ve done nothing wrong to the Judeans, as you very well know.e


text:
 If I’m guilty, and have done something that deserves death, I have no objection to dying.f But if there is nothing to the charges these people are making against me, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”


text:
 Then Festus, after talking with his advisers, replied, “You’ve appealed to Caesar—you’ll go to Caesar.”


text:
 Festus Asks for Advice from King Agrippa A few days later, King Agrippa and Bernice visited Caesareag to welcomeh Festus.


text:
 And since they were spending quite a few days there, Festus laid out the case against Paul for him. He was saying, “There’s a certain man that Felix left behind as a prisoner.


text:
 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of Judeai brought charges against him and asked for a judgment against him.


text:
 I told themj it’s not the Roman custom to hand somebody over as a favor. Firstk the accused person gets to see the accusers face to face and have a chance to make a defense as to the accusation.


text:
 So they came here with me, andl I didn’t waste any time. I held a hearingm the next day, and ordered the man brought in.


text:
 But when his accusers stood up,n they didn’t bring any of the criminal chargeso I had been expecting.


text:
 Instead, they had some disputes against him about their own religion-and about a certain dead man named Jesus, that Paul insisted was alive.


text:
 And I didn’t know what to make of those arguments. So I started to ask if maybe he might be willing to go to Jerusalem, and stand trial there for the charges.p


text:
 But Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision. So I ordered him to be held in custody until I can send him to Caesar.”


text:
 Agrippa said to Festus, “I’d like to hear this person myself.” And he said, “You’ll hear him tomorrow.”


text:
 Paul is Brought in Front of King Agrippa and his Sister Bernice So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came, and there was a big ceremony.q They came into the governor’s audience hall with the Roman commanders and the leadingr men of the city. Then Festus gave the order, and Paul was brought in.


text:
 Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all of you gentlemen here with us! You’re looking at the person that the whole Jewish community complaineds to me about both in Jerusalem and here. They were shouting that he shouldn’t be allowed to live.t


text:
 But I didn’t see that he’d done anything worthy of death.u But since he himself has appealed to the Emperor, I’ve decided to send him.


text:
 But I don’t have anything reliable to write to the Emperor about him. That’s why I’ve brought him in front of you, especially you, King Agrippa. That way, after this hearing I’ll have something to write.


text:
 After all, it seems senseless to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”


text:
 Paul Gives his Defense in Front of Agrippa Agrippa then said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul extended his handa and began his defense:


text:
 Givenb all the things that I’m being accused of by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate that it is in front of you, King Agrippa, that I’m about to defend myself here today.


text:
 Because you’re especially knowledgeable about all Jewish customs and disputes. So I askc that you hear me out patiently.


text:
 All Jews are well aware of my life from childhood onwards-with my fellow Jewsd and among the people of Jerusalem.


text:
 They’ve known me all along-if they were just willing to testify. They know that I lived by the rules of the strictest sect of our religion: I was a Pharisee.e


text:
 It’s that promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain by diligently servingf God night and day. It’s for that hope, King Agrippa, that I’m being accused by the Jews.


text:
 And I did so in Jerusalem. I even imprisonedi many of the holy ones, after receiving authority to do so from the chief priests. And when they were being killed, I cast my vote against them.


text:
 And I went around all the synagogues,j often having them punished. I would try to force them to curse him. I was so totally enraged at them that I was even persecuting them ink cities outside Israel.


text:
 Paul Tells of his Conversion (Acts 9:1-19a; 22:6-16) That’s what I was doing when I was on my way to Damascus, with authority and permission from the chief priests.


text:
 In the middle of the day on the road, King Agrippa, I saw a light from heaven. It was brighter than the sun, and was shining around me and my traveling companions.


text:
 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It’s hard for you to kick back against the goads.”l


text:
 Now get up and stand on your feet: there’s a reason I’ve appeared to you. I’ve appointed you to be a servant and a witness. You’ll be a witness to the vision of me that you’ve just seen,m and to other visions of me that I’m going to give you.n


text:
 I’m sending you to the Gentiles, to open their eyes. That way they’ll turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. They’ll receive forgiveness of their sins, and an inheritanceo alongside those who have already been made holy by putting their faith in me.”


text:
 In Damascus at first, and then in Jerusalem, and the whole territory of Judea,q and among the Gentiles, I’ve been announcing that people should change their heartsr and turn to God, doing things worthy of a changed heart.s


text:
 But I’ve had help from God to this day, and I’ve stood my ground. I’ve been testifying to the weak and to the powerful.u I haven’t said anything beyond what the prophets and Moses said was going to happen:


text:
 that the Messiah was to suffer and be the first to rise from among the dead. And he would spread light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.


text:
 Festus Accuses Paul of Being Crazy As Paul was making these points in defense of himself, Festus shouted, “You’re crazy,v Paul! All that education is driving you crazy!”


text:
 And Paul said, “I’m not crazy, Your Excellency.w Far from it. I’m saying things that are true and level-headed.x


text:
 And the King knows about these things, so I’m speaking openly to him. After all, I’m convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, since it didn’t happen off in a corner somewhere.y


text:
 Paul replied, “Whether sooner or later, I’d just pray to God that you could be like I am-and not only you, but everyone listening to me today. Except for these chains, that is.”


text:
 When they had left the room, they began talking to each other. They were saying, “That fellow isn’t doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”aa


text:
 And Agrippa said to Festus, “The fellow could have been set free, if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.”


text:
 Paul Sails for Rome Finallya the decision was made for us to sail to Italy. Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a Roman officer of the Imperial Regimentb named Julius.


text:
 We boarded a ship from Adramyttiumc that was about to sail for places in Asia. We set sail, and Aristarchusd the Macedoniane from Thessalonicaf was with us.


text:
 The next day we landed at Sidon.g Julius was kind to Paul, and let him visit his friends so they could take care of him.


text:
 From there we put out to sea again and sailed on the downwind side of Cyprus, because the winds were against us.


text:
 And the Roman officerl found an Alexandrian ship there that was sailing for Italy, and got us on it.


text:
 After quite a few days of sailing slowly, we barely got to Cnidus.m Since the wind wouldn’t let us go any further, we sailed on the downwind side of Crete, off Salmone.n


text:
 We were sailing along the coast and barely got past Salmone to a place called Fair Havens. The town of Laseao was close to it.


text:
 A good amount of time had been lost, and sailing was already dangerous. The Day of Atonementp was already past. Paul warned them,


text:
 “Gentlemen, I can see that we’re going to sail into disaster and heavy lossq.-not just to the cargo and the ship, but even to our own lives.”


text:
 But Julius, the Roman officer,r trusteds what the captain and the owner said more than what Paul was saying.


text:
 And the harbor they were in wasn’t a good place to spend the winter, so most wanted to leave that place. They were hoping they could get to Phoenix,t and spend the winter there. Phoenix is a harbor on Crete that faces both southwest and northwest.


text:
 A Terrible Storm on the Mediterranean Sea And when a gentle wind started blowing from the south, they thought their plan had worked out.u They pulled up the anchor and sailed along the coast of Crete.


text:
 The ship was caught in it, and couldn’t come around to face the wind. So we gave up and were swept along.


text:
 Then we passed behindv a little island called Cauda,w and managed to get the lifeboat secured-barely.


text:
 When they had gotten it up, they worked with cables to brace the ship. They were afraid they would run agroundx at Syrtis,y so they let down the sea anchor, and we got carried along that way.


text:
 But we got heavily battered by the storm, and on the second day they started throwing cargo overboard.


text:
 But there was no signz of sun or stars for many days, and the hugeaa storm kept raging. Finally we lost all hopebb that we would be saved.


text:
 When everyone had gone a long time without food, Paul stood in front of everyonecc and said, “Gentlemen, you should have taken my advice and not sailed from Crete—you would have avoided this whole disaster.dd


text:
 But now I encourage you to keep your spirits up. Because none of you is going to lose their life-only the ship will be lost.


text:
 He said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You have to stand in front of Caesar. And God has granted you the lives of all the people who are sailing with you.’


text:
 So keep your spirits up, gentlemen. I believe in God, and that it’s going to turn out exactly as I’ve been told.


text:
 Now, it got to be the fourteenth night of being swept along in the Sea of Adria.gg And in the middle of the night the sailors started to think we were getting near to land somewhere.


text:
 And when they measured the depth, they found it was a hundred and twenty feet. When they had sailed a little further they measured again and found it was ninety feet.


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 And they were afraid we’d run aground on the rocks somewhere, so they set out four anchors from the sternhh and started praying for morning to come.


text:
 Then some of the sailors tried to escape the ship by lowering the lifeboat into the water. They had been pretending that they were going to set out anchors from the bow.ii


text:
 Paul said to the Roman officerjj and the soldiers, “Unless those men stay on the ship, you can’t be saved.”


text:
 Right before daybreak, Paul encouraged everyone to eat some food. He was saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you’ve been in suspense and have gone without food. You haven’t eaten a thing.


text:
 So I’m urging you to eat some food, because it’s a matter of your own safety. Not even a hair on one of your heads is going to be lost.”


text:
 When he’d said that, he took a loaf of bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. And he broke it and started to eat.


text:
 When people had had enough food, they started lightening the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.


text:
 The Shipwreck When day came, they didn’t recognize the land. But they noticed a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship agroundll there if they could.


text:
 Somm they cut the anchors loose into the sea, and loosened the rudder ties. Then they raised the forward sail to the wind, and started heading for the beach.


text:
 But they came on a reef,nn and ran the ship aground.oo And the bow stayed firmly stuck, and the stern started coming apart because of the force of the waves.


text:
 But the Roman officerqq wanted to save Paul, and kept them from doing it.rr He ordered the people who could swim to jump overboard first and get to the shore.


text:
 And the rest had to get there on boards and on various things from the ship. And that’s how everybody got safely to shore.


text:
 Safe Ashore on Malta So we had gotten through safely. We then learned that the island was called Malta.


text:
 And the islandersa showed us extraordinary kindness. They started a fire and welcomed us all, because it was rainy and cold.b


text:
 And Paul gathered a bunch of brushwood and laid it on the fire. And a poisonous snake came out because of the heat, and attached itself to Paul’s hand. And when the islandersc saw the creature hanging from his hand, they started saying to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. He’s been saved from the sea, but justice hasn’t allowed him to live.”


text:
 But after a long time of waiting and watching, with nothing out of the ordinary happening to him, they changed their minds and started saying he was a god.


text:
 Nearby to that place were the fieldsd of the chief official of the island, whose name was Publius. He welcomed us and was very friendly, and put us up for three days.


text:
 And it happened that Publius’s father had gotten ill, and was sick in bed with a fever and diarrhea.e Paul went in to visit him. He prayed, laid his hands on him, and healed him.


text:
 And when that happened, all the other people on the island who were ill started coming and getting cured too.


text:
 Those folks honored us in many ways, and when we were setting sail they gave us everything we needed.


text:
 Paul Arrives at Rome After three months, we set sail on an Alexandrian ship that had spent the winter at the island. On its bow was a carving of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.f


text:
 From there we set sailh and reached Rhegium.i After a day there a wind started blowing from the south, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.j


text:
 We found some Christian brothers and sisters there, and we were invited to stayk with them for seven days. And so we finally came to Rome.


text:
 The brothers and sisters from there had heard about us, and came out to meet us. They came all the way to the Appian Forum and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he gave thanks to God and was encouraged.l


text:
 Paul Arranges a Meeting with the Jewish Leaders in Rome After three days, he called together the leaders in the Jewish community there.m When they had all come together, he said to them, “Gentlemen, brothers!n I haven’t done anything against the people of Israel or against the customs of our ancestors. Yet I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem.


text:
 When they questioned me, they intended to release me, because I hadn’t done anything that deserved death.o


text:
 But when the Judeansp objected to my release, I was forced to appeal to Caesar. It’s not that I have any legal grievance against my people.


text:
 So here’s the reason I’ve requested to see you and talk to you: it’s because of the hope of Israel that I’m wearing these chains.”q


text:
 They said to Paul, “We haven’t received letters from Judear about you. And none of the Jewish brothers has arrived and reported or said anything bad about you.


text:
 We’d like to hear your opinions, because we’re aware that people everywhere complain about this sect.”s


text:
 Paul Preaches to the Jews of Rome So they arranged a date with him, and a large number of peoplet came to him where he was staying. Paul explained the Reign of God to them from morning till night. He was testifying to them and trying to persuade them about Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and the prophets.


text:
 And since they were in disagreement, they started to leave, after Paul said one last thing: “The Holy Spirit spoke wiselyu to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah:


text:
 Go to this people and say, Listen closely, but you’ll never understand; Look closely, but you’re never going to see;


text:
 Because this people’s hearts have gotten dull,v. And they can hardly hear with their ears, And they’ve closed their eyes. Otherwise they would see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand in their hearts, And they would turn back to me- And I wouldw heal them.x


text:
 So you should all know that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles-and they’re going to listen.”


text:
 Paul stayed in Rome for two whole years, in his own rented place. And he used to welcome everyone who came to him.


text:
 He was preaching the Reign of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ completely openly. No one tried to stop him.y


text:
 PAUL’S LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY AT ROME Greeting From Paul, a servanta of Jesus Christ. I was called to be an apostleb and set apart to preach the good newsc of God-


text:
 The good news is about his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. He was a descendent of David in terms of his physical origin,d


text:
 but he was powerfully set apart as the Son of God by the Holy Spirit,e by his resurrection from among the dead.f


text:
 Through him we’ve been given grace and the missiong to bring about obedience to God, based on faith, in all the nations, for the sake of his name.h


text:
 all of you who are in Rome. You’re dearly loved by God and called by God to be holy ones. May you have grace and peacei from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.j


text:
 Prayer of Thanksgiving First off, I want to thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you! Your faith has become famous throughout the whole world.


text:
 God, whom I serve in my spirit by preaching the good news of his Son, will tes­tify that I always take care to remember you


text:
 In other words, we’re going to encourage each other, thanks to the faith that you share with one another and with me.


text:
 You should know,k my brothers and sisters, that I’ve intended to come to you many times in the past-so that I could have a harvest among you, just as I’ve had in other countries-but I’ve been held back until now.


text:
 The Power of the Good News I am not ashamed of the good news, because it’s God’s powerful way of savingm everyone who believes: the Jew first, and also the non-Jew.n


text:
 Because God’s justice is revealed in it-based on faith, and resulting in faith.o Just like the scripture says:p But the person of integrityq will live on the basis of their faith.r


text:
 Everyone Needs God’s Mercy and Forgiveness-Not Just “Those People” After all, God’s wrath is revealed from heaven regarding all human godlessness and injustice. People have denied the truth in their injustice,


text:
 Ever since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities have been under­stood-such as his eternity and power and divinity. As a result, people don’t have any excuse.


text:
 They knew God, yet they didn’t give him glory or thanks. Instead, they became shallow in their thinking, and their unwise hearts went dark.


text:
 They traded away the glory of God, who is immortal,t for images of mortalu human beings, birds, animals, and reptiles.v


text:
 Whoever traded away the truth of God for a lie ended up polluting and dishonoring their bodies with one another.w And they wor­shiped and served the creation rather than the creator, who is blessed for all ages. (Amen!)


text:
 For that reason, God handed them over to lusts that dishonored them. The women traded away their natural func­tion for that which is against nature;


text:
 and similarly, the men also turned away from natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another-men for men. They indulged in shameful conduct, and experienced in themselves the inevitable consequence of going astray.x


text:
 And since they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God handed them over to worthless thinking, so that they did things that weren’t right.


text:
 They’re full of all kinds of injustice, nastiness, greed, bad temper, hatred,y murder, divisiveness, dishonesty, and malice. They’re back-stabbers,


text:
 slanderers, God-haters, full of pride and arrogance and bragging. They’re troublemakers, disobedient to par­ents,


text:
 Though they know very well that God’s verdict is that people who do such things deserve to die, they both do them and give approval to those who do them.


text:
 As a result, you don’t have any excuse, all of youa who judge. Because in judging the other person, you condemn yourself. After all, you, the person judging, do the same things.


text:
 But consider this, you who judge people that do something, yet do the same yourself. Are you yourself going to escape the judgment of God?


text:
 Are you despising God’s great kindness, restraint and patience? Don’t you know that God’s acts of kindness are sup­posed to lead you to a change of heart?c


text:
 But suppose your heart is stubborn and unrepentant. Aren’t you piling up God’s wrath towards you for the day when God’s wrath and just judgment are revealed?d


text:
 For those who consistently do good, and so strive for glory and honor and incor­rup­tible life,e there will be eternal life.


text:
 there will be wrath and fury. Trouble and distress will land on every human soul that does what is bad-the Jew first, and also the non-Jew.g


text:
 But glory and honor and peace will come to everyone who does good-the Jew first, and also the non-Jew.


text:
 God Will Judge Jews and Gentiles on the Same Basis Because there’s no such thing as special status with God.


text:
 Those who sinh without the Law will perish without reference to the Law, and those who sin knowing the Lawi will be judged based on the Law.


text:
 After all, it’s not those who hear the Law read to them that are just: it’s those who carry out the Law who are going to be declared just.


text:
 For example, sometimes non-Jews, who don’t have the Law, instinctively do the things the Law re­quires. These people, despite not having the Law, embody the Law in themselves.


text:
 They demonstrate the result of the Law being engraved on their hearts, bearing witness to their consciences. As I understand the good news, it will be their own arguments and reasonings with one another-whether condemning or ap­proving-that will judge them


text:
 Do you know his will, and value the things that have worth, because you’ve been taught from the Law?


text:
 Have you con­vinced yourself that you’re a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in the dark,


text:
 While you’re teaching others the shape of knowledge and truth in the Law, do you fail to teach yourself? While you’re preaching that people shouldn’t steal, do you yourself steal?


text:
 While you’re saying not to go to bed with other people’s spouses, are you going to bed with someone else’s spouse?k Do you hate idols, yet take treasures from their temples?


text:
 So circumcisionn is worth some­thing, if you live out the Law. But if you’re a person who breaks the Law, your circumcision turns into lack of circumcision.


text:
 If that’s true, then won’t a person’s lack of circumcision be counted as circumcision, if they keep the just decrees of the Law?


text:
 If a person is uncircumcised, yet fulfills the Law by nature,o won’t they judge you? Because, despite having the letter of the Law, and your circumcision, you’re a person who breaks the Law.


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 It isn’t those who are outwardly Jews who are Jews, nor is it those who are physically circumcised.


text:
 No, it’s the person who’s a Jew in the hidden place: it’s the circumcision of the heart, that’s done by the Spirit, not by the letter of the Law. That person’s approval is not from human beings, but from God.


text:
 The Blessings of Being a Jew-And the Problem That Jews Share with All of Humanity Given all this,a what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Or what’s the benefit of circumcision?b


text:
 It’s a great benefit in every way! In the first place, the Jews have been entrusted with God’s revelations.c


text:
 So, what if some were unfaithful to that trust? Can their lack of faith cancel out God’s faithfulness?


text:
 Never!d God has to remain true even if every human being is a liar. As scripture says,e. And so you’re justified in saying the things you said, and you’ll prevail if you’re criticized.f


text:
 But let’s say that our injustice does bring out God’s justice. Isn’t God unjust for expressing wrath? (I’m thinking in human terms.g.)


text:
 Well, you may say,h if God’s truth becomes even greater, and God ends up getting glory because of my lie, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?


text:
 By the way,i aren’t we slandered by just that accusation-certain people claiming that we say, “We’re going to do bad things, so that good things will come out of it”? If we actually said that, their criticism would bej totally justified.


text:
 So what then? Are we Jews better? Not all that much!k After all, we’ve just accused everyone-Jews and non-Jews alike-of being under the power of sin.


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 They’ve all turned away,n. All of them have become useless. There’s no one who does right,o. Not even one single person.


text:
 Their throat is an open tomb, And with their tongues they tell lies. The venom of an asp hides behind their lips,p


text:
 Now, we know that whatever the Lawt says, it says to those who are in its juris­diction.u And it says these things so that every mouth may be shut, and the entire world will come under God’s jurisdiction.


text:
 That’s why “no flesh is going to be found innocent in front of him”v by doing what the Law requires:w because it’s through the Law that the full recognition of sin comes.


text:
 Paul’s Thesis: God’s Solution is Based on Forgiveness through Faith in Jesus Christ But now God’s justice has been revealed apart from the Law, with the Law and the Prophets testifying to it.


text:
 This is the justice of God that is revealed through faith in Jesus Christ,x to the benefit of everyone who believes. There is no distinction:


text:
 It was Jesus whom God put forward as a gift that makes amendsdd through faith in his blood. This was to show forth God’s just judgment through the forgiveness of past sins


text:
 by God’s mercy. It was also to demonstrate God’s justice in this age, so that he may be seen to be just in finding innocent the person who has faith in Jesus.ee


text:
 So what basis is there for pride? None. Pride is excluded. On what law do we depend? A law based on doing things? No, we depend on a law based on faith.ff


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 We believe that humanity is found innocent by faith, completely apart from doing what the Law requires.


text:
 Since God is One, he will find the circumcised innocent on the basis of faith, and will find the uncircumcised innocent by faith.


text:
 So are we canceling out the Law on the basis of faith? Absolutely not!gg We’re confirm­ing the Law.


text:
 The Principle of Faith is Older Than the Jewish Law So, what can we say about the experience of Abraham,a our physical ancestor?


text:
 Surely, if Abraham was found innocent on the basis of things he did, he had something to brag about-but not in front of God.


text:
 After all, what does scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as being in the right.b


text:
 But to the person who doesn’t work, but puts belief in the One who acquitsc the ungodly, their faith is credited to them as being in the right.


text:
 Similarly, David also speaks about the blessedness of the person that God credits as being in the right completely apart from doing what the Law requires:


text:
 Now, is this blessing for those who are circumcised, or is it also for those who are uncircumcised? Remember,f we said that “Abraham’s faith was credited to him as being in the right.”


text:
 So when was it credited? Was it when he was in a state of circumcision, or of uncircumcision? It was not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision!


text:
 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal ofg the right standing by faith that he had while he was uncircumcised. That way he could be the father of all those who believe while in the state of uncir­cumcision, so that their belief may be credited to them as being in the right!


text:
 Our father Abraham is also father to those who are circumcised, who do not simply have circumcision,h but who also follow in the footsteps of faith that he took when he was in uncircumcision.


text:
 After all, the promise to Abraham, or to his offspring,i did not come through the Law. No, his promised inheritance of the world came through the right standing of faith!


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 If it’s those who have the Lawj who are the inheritors, then faith has been sapped of all meaning,k and the promise has been nullified.


text:
 The Law brings about God’s wrath! But to the person who does not have the Law, there is no breaking of it.


text:
 That’s why it’s aboutl faith. It’s so that it will be by grace, so that the promise will remain in force for everyone who is Abraham’s offspring-not just the person who has the Law, but also the person who sharesm Abraham’s faith. He is the father of all of us!


text:
 Just like the scripture says,n. I have appointed you to be a father of many nations.o. In the face of that promise,p he believed that God was able to bring the dead back to life, and to call into being things that don’t exist.q


text:
 It was he who kept hoping and hoping, and believed that he would become father to many nations. As it had been said to him, “That’s the way your offspring will be.”r


text:
 His faith did not weaken as he thought about his own body, which had pretty much already died. (He was a hundred years old or so.) He didn’t doubt as he thought about the infertilitys of Sarah’s womb, either.


text:
 He went for the promise of God, and didn’t slip into unbelief.t Just the opposite: he was empowered by faith, and gave glory to God.


text:
 And it wasn’t just written that it was “credited to him” for his sake alone, but also for our sake! It’s going to be credited to us too.u


text:
 It is he who was delivered over to punishment because of our offenses, and who rose so that we could be acquitted.v


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 The Death of Christ Accomplishes our Forgiveness and Reconciliation to God Since we have been found innocent on the basis of faith, we havea peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
 And through him we have access, by faith, to this place of grace in which we now stand. And we can boastb of hope in the glory of God.


text:
 And that’s not all! We even boast about our persecutions, because we know that persecution leads to endurance.


text:
 And hope doesn’t let us down, because God’s love is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.


text:
 If you think of it,e a person would hardly die even for a person of integrityf.-though for a truly good person one could possibly even get up the courage to die.


text:
 So we are now found innocent by Christ’s blood. And since that is true, it should be all the more obvious that we will be saved from God’s wrath because of him!


text:
 After all, it was when we were enemies that we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son-so it should be all the more obvious that we’ll be saved by his life.


text:
 And not only that! We’re even proud to talk about God because of our Lord Jesus Christ,g through whom we’ve now received reconciliation.


text:
 So then, it was through one human being that sin came into the world. And through sin came death. In that way death spread through all human beings-because all of them sinned.


text:
 After all, sin was in the world before the Law, even though sin isn’t counted as such without the Law being there.


text:
 Still, death ruled from Adam until Moses-even over those who hadn’t sinned in exactly the same way as Adam had, by disobeying a command.h Adam is a counterpart of the One who was to come.


text:
 Of course, his offense was totally unlike the gift that was to be given. On the one hand, one person’s offense caused a great many peoplei to die. Yet on the other hand, there is a far greater grace of God: the free gift by grace, which has overflowed for many people through the one person, Jesus Christ.


text:
 Once again, the gift given is unlike the result of the one person sinning. The judgment that arose from the one person resulted in condemnation; yet grace, arising out of many offenses, resulted in acquittal.


text:
 After all, it was by the one person’s offense that death ruled-all because of the one person. So what about those who have received God’s overflowing grace and gift of acquittal? Won’t they rule in life through the one person, Jesus Christ?


text:
 In conclusion, one person’s offense ended up in condemnation for all people; in the same way, one person’s good deed ended up in the acquittal that means life for all people.


text:
 Again, just as the disobedience of the one person led to a great many peoplej being found sinners, so also the obedience of the One led to a great many people being found innocent.


text:
 Now, the Law came in so that the offense would go even further. But where sin went further, grace over­flowed even more.


text:
 So just as sin ruled, leading to death,k so also grace will rule through acquittal, leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


text:
 Does God’s Grace Give Us a License to Sin? So, what shall we say? Shall we stay in sin, so that grace will go even further?


text:
 Don’t you know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death?


text:
 So we’ve been buried with him, through baptism, into death. That way, just as Christ rose from among the dead by the glory the Father, so we also will live in newness of life.


text:
 After all, haven’t we become united with him by sharing in a death like his? If so, then we will surely also be united with him in his resurrection.


text:
 We know that our old person was hung on a cross with him. That way our sinful body was cancelled out, so that we won’t serve as sin’s slaves any more.


text:
 We know that Christ has risen from among the dead-and he’s never going to die again. Death is no longer his master.


text:
 In the same way, you should regard yourselves as dead in relation to sin, but as alive in relation to God in Christ Jesus.


text:
 And don’t offer the parts of your body to sin so that it can use them as weapons of wrongdoing. Instead, present yourselves to God-just as if you had come alive from among the dead. And offer the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for right living:


text:
 Don’t you know that when you offer yourself as slaves to someone, you end up obeying them? You are slaves of whoever you obey. Either it’s sin-which ends up in death-or obedi­ence, which ends up in right living.


text:
 But thank God! Though you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from your heart the pattern of teaching that you were entrusted to.


text:
 (I’m talking in human terms here, because of the weakness of your flesh.) In the past you presented the parts of your body as slaves to filthiness and to lawless behavior. That resulted in lawlessness. So now, in the same way, present the parts of your body as slaves of right living-which results in holiness.


text:
 So, what resultsc did you experience back then? Did you get anything out of those things-the things that you’re ashamed of now? The end result of them is death, right?d


text:
 But now you’ve been freed from slavery to sin, and you’re serving God! And you have your resultse of growth into holiness. And the end result is going to be eternal life.


text:
 Because sin pays death as its wages, but the gift that God gives through Christ Jesus our Lord is eternal life.


text:
 I suppose you know, my brothers and sisters, that the Law only has jurisdiction over a person as long as they’re alive. (I’m talking here to those who know the Law.)


text:
 For example, a married woman is bound by law to her living husband. But if the husband dies, the Law releases her from her husband.


text:
 So while her husband is alive, she’ll be accused of breaking her marriage vowsa if she goes to another man. But if her husband dies, she’s freed from that law. She won’t be breaking her vowsb if she goes to be with another man.


text:
 Brothers and sisters, here’s my point. You too have died in relation to the Law. Through the body of Christ, you were to be joined to another-to him who rose from among the dead. Why? So we will bear fruit for God!


text:
 After all, when we were living in the flesh, because of the Law, the consequences of our sins worked their way through the members of our bodies. And the ultimate result of that was going to be death.c


text:
 But now we’ve been released from the Law: we’ve died in relation to the thing that had bound us. So nowd we serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the old way of the letter.


text:
 The Law is Good-It’s Human Sin That’s the Problem So what shall we say? That the Law is sin? Of course not! Just the opposite. I would never have known what sin was, if it hadn’t been for the Law. For example, I wouldn’t have known what coveting was, if the Law hadn’t said, “Don’t covet.”e


text:
 But the sin of coveting took advantage of the command, and brought out all kinds of coveting in me. After all, apart from any law, sin is dead.


text:
 So I was alive apart from the Law at one time. But when the command came, sin sprang to life and I died.


text:
 So did something good turn into death for me? Absolutely not! Just the opposite. It was just that sin had to be revealed as sin. So when sin worked death in me through the good thing, it was so that sin would reveal itself asf totally sinful by means of the command.


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 After all, we know that the Law is spiritual. But I’m made of flesh. I’ve been sold into slavery to sin,


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 because I don’t understand what I’m bring­ing about. It isn’t what I want to do that I do, but the very thing that I hate.


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 And if it’s the very thing that I don’t want to do that I end up doing, then I am agreeing that the Law is good.


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 After all, in terms of my flesh, I know that good isn’t there in me. The desire is right there in me, but the ability to bring about the good isn’t.


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 I don’t end up doing the good that I want to do-instead I do exactly the bad thing that I don’t want.


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 And if I’m doing what I don’t want, then it’s no longer me bringing it about, but the sin that’s thereh in me.


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 So that’s how I experience the Law:i in my desire to do what’s good, only the bad is available to me.


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 but I see another law at work in the parts of my body. That law is at war with the law of my mind. And it captures me by means of the law of sin that’s in the parts of my body.


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 But thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!k The conclusion is that I myself serve the Law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve a law of sin.


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 Forgiveness in Christ Opens the Door to Life in the Spirit So now there’s no guilty verdict at all for those who are in Christ Jesus!


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 Because the Spirit of Life’s own law has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.


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 After all, there was one thing the Law couldn’t do-because it was weakened by the flesh. So God sent his own Son. He appeared in flesh just like our sinful flesh, and as a sin offering. So God pronounced a guilty verdict on sin in the flesh.


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 That way the Law’s full acquittal could be given to us-we who don’t live in line witha the flesh, but in line with the Spirit.


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 After all, those who live in line with the flesh think about the flesh’s concerns, and those in line with the Spirit think about the Spirit’s concerns.


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 That’s because the flesh’s way of thinking is hostileb to God. That way of thinking doesn’t submit to God’s law. It just can’t do it.


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 However, you’re not living in the flesh but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God is living in you. But if someone doesn’t have Christ’s Spirit, that person doesn’t belong to him.


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 But if Christ is in you, then your body may be dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life to you because of right living.


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 And if the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from among the dead is living in you, then the One who raised Christ from among the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life, through his Spirit who lives inside you!


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 So the conclusion, brothers and sisters, is this. We have no obligation to the flesh: we don’t have to live in line with it.


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 Because if you live in line with the flesh, you’re going to die. But if you make the bad behaviors of the body die off with the Spirit, you’re going to live.


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 After all, you haven’t received a spirit of slavery that leads you into fear all over again: you’ve received the Spirit of adoption! By the Spirit, we cry out, “Abba! Father!”


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 And if we’re children, then we’re heirsc too-heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ! That is, as long as we suffer with him, so that we can be glorified with him.


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 The Costs-And the Glories-Of This New Life In my opinion, our current sufferings can’t even be compared with the glory that’s about to be revealed to us.


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 After all, when the creation was subjected to human folly,e it certainly wasn’t because it wanted to be. No, God sub­jected itf in hope-


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 that the creation itself will be set free from slavery to decay, into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.


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 We know that the whole creation is groaning together, and going through labor pains together, right up to this moment.


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 And not only that: those of us who have the first harvestg of the Spirit groan within ourselves too. We’re looking forward to our adoption, to the setting freeh of our bodies.


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 And the Spirit also helps us in our weak­ness. We don’t know how to pray like we should, but the Spirit personally intercedes for us, with wordless groans.


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 And the One who searches our hearts knows the Spirit’s mind, because the Spirit intercedes for the holy ones in line with the will of God.


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 And we know that everything works togetheri for good, for those who love God, who are called in line with his purpose.


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 Because: Those whom he foreknows, He has foreordained to be molded into the image of his Son. That way, he will be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters!


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 And those whom he foreordains, he calls. And those whom he calls, he finds innocent. And those whom he finds innocent, he glorifies.j


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 After all, he is the One who didn’t even hold back his own Son. No, he gave him up for us all! And so, with him on our side, how can he not give us everything?k


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 Who’s going to bring an accusation against God’s chosen ones?l God is the One who finds us innocent!


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 Who’s going to condemn? Christ Jesus is the One who died, and, what’s more, he is risen! He’s the One who also sits at God’s right side-and who also intercedes for us!


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 Who’s going to cut us off from Christ’s love? Will harassment do it, or stress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword?


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 Just as scripture says,m. For your sake we’re being put to death all day long; We’re thought of as sheep to be slaughtered.n


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 Because I’m convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor authorities, nor things that are, nor things to come, nor powers,


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 nor height, nor depth, nor anything in creation, will ever be able to cut us off from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.o


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 What Does it Mean That So Many Jews Reject Jesus as the Christ? I’m telling the truth in Christ-I’m not lying, and my con­science backs me up in the Holy Spirit:


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 I could even wish that I could be rejected from Christ-instead of my brothers and sisters, my human family.a


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 I’m talking about the Israelites: it is their gift to be God’s children-and to have the glory of God, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the min­istry of worship, and the promises.


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 To them also belong the ancestors, and from them comes the Christ, in terms of his human birth:b he is God over all, and blessed forever! Amen.


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 But it isn’t as though the word of God has failed. After all, not everyone who’s from Israel is really Israel-


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 just as not all the offspring of Abraham are Abraham’s children. No, It is through Isaac that your offspring will be known.c


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 Which means it isn’t the physical chil­drend who are children of God-it’s the children of the promise who are consid­ered to be offspring.


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 Because the word of the promise says this: At this time of year I’m going to come back, and Sarah is going to have a son.e


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 Yet that was before they were even born, or did anything good or bad. It happened this way so that God’s own choiceg would stand-not based on things they did, but on the One who called.h


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 After all, he says to Moses, I will be merciful to whom I want to be merciful, And I will be compassionate to whom I want to be compassionate.k


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 So it’s not a matter of who wants it, or who runs after it. No, it’s a matter of who God has mercy on.


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 After all, scrip­ture says to Pharaoh: I have raised you up for one reason: To demonstrate my power through you, And to make my name known to the whole world.l


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 So whoever God wants to have mercy on, he has mercy on. But whoever he wants to harden, he hardens.


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 Then you’ll say to me, “So how does God still blame people? After all, who stands up against his will?”


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 Friend, that argument cuts against you!m Who are you to answer back to God? Surely something that’s shaped can’t say to the one who shaped it, “Why did you make me this way?”


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 And doesn’t a potter have the right to make different pieces from one lump of clay-maybe one especially fine piece, and one ordinary piece?


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 But what if God was willing all along to show his anger and make known his power-but still showed great restraint and patience towards the pieces that he was angry at, those destined to be broken?n


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 What if it was to make known the wealth of his glory in relation to the pieces that were objects of mercy, the ones that he had prepared beforehand for glory?


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 In other words, ourselves-those whom he has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles!


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 As God also says in Hosea, I’m going to call a people that is not my people, “My people!” And the one that is not loved, “My loved one!”


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 And in the very place where it was said to them, “You’re not my people,” They going to be called children of the Living God!


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 Yet Isaiah cries over Israel, Even if the population of the children of Israel is like the sand on the seashore, Only a tail end is going to be saved,


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 Because the Lord of the whole earth is going to do something, And he’s going to be thorough and quick about it.


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 And as Isaiah had said earlier, If the Lord of Hosts hadn’t left us offspring, We would have ended up like Sodomo.- We would have been just like Gomorrah.p


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 So how shall we put it? Nations that had never pursued right living achieved right livingq.-but it was a right living that came out of faith.


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 And why? Because they weren’t going after it on the basis of faith, but on the basis of doing what the Law requires. They tripped over the tripping stone,


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 just like the scripture says:r. Look! I am putting a stone in Zion that is easy to trip over, And a rock that offends.s. And the person that puts faith in him will not be brought to shame.t


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 because they don’t know about God’s version of right living. And in trying to set up their own version of right living, they haven’t submitted to God’s-


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 because Christ is the completion of the Law, which leads to right living for every­one who believes.


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 Now, as for the right living that comes out of the Law, Moses puts it this way: The person who has lived righta will live because of it.


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 But the right living that comes out of faith puts it like this: Don’t say in your heart, “Who is going to go up into heaven?”  (That is, to bring Christ down.)


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 And don’t say, “Who is going to go down into the abyss?” (That is, to bring Christ up from among the dead.)


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 No, what it says is: The word is right near you! It’s on your lips and in your heart.b. That’s the word about faith that we’re preaching:


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 thatc if you openly acknowledge Jesus as Lord with your lips, and you believe in your heart that God raised him from among the dead, you’ll be saved.


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 Because a person believes in Jesus with their heart, which leads to being found innocent.d And they openly acknowledge Jesus with their lips, which leads to salvation.


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 And there’s no distinction between the Jew and the non-Jew.f After all, the same Lord is over all people, and he is rich in generosity to everyone who calls on him:


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 So how are they going to call on somebody that they haven’t trusted? And how are they going to trust somebody that they’ve never heard of? And how are they ever going to hear about him without a preacher?


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 And how are they going to preach if they’re never sent? Just like the scripture says,h. How beautiful are the feet of those who are bringing good news!i


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 But not everyone has paid attention to the good news. As Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?j


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 But I might say, “Can it be that they didn’t heark it?” No: Their voice has gone out to the whole earth, And their words have reached to the corners of the inhabited world.l


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 Again,m I might say, “Can it be that Israel didn’t know?” Moses says from the first: I’m going to make you jealous over a non-nation;n. I am going to make you angry over an ignorant nation.o


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 And Isaiah is bold enough to say, I was found by those who didn’t seek me; I revealed myself to those who didn’t ask for me.p


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 So I ask, surely God hasn’t rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! After all, I am also an Israelite, from the offspring of Abraham and the tribe of Benjamin.


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 No, God has not rejected his people.a. He knew them before they ever were. Or maybe you didn’t know what scripture says in the Elijah story. This is how he pleads with God against Israel:


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 Lord, they’ve killed your prophets and torn down your altars, and I’m the only one left. And they’re even trying to take my life!b


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 But what does Godc say to him? I have kept seven thousand men for myself, who haven’t knelt down to Baal.d


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 And if it’s by grace, then it isn’t on the basis of doing what the Law requires anymore. Otherwise grace wouldn’t be grace anymore.


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 So what’s the result? The very thing that Israel is seeking, they haven’t gotten, yet the chosen ones have gotten it. But the rest have become hardened.


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 As scripture says,f. God has given them a spirit of sleepiness: Eyes that don’t see, and ears that don’t hear, Right up to this day.g


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 And David says, Let their table turn into a snare and a trap, And something that trips them up, And into something that repays them!


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 So I ask: They didn’t trip so that they would fall, did they? Absolutely not! But their offense spelled the salvation of the Gentiles, so that they would get jealous.


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 And if their offense was a windfalli for the world, and their failure was a windfall for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!


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 I’m now talking to you who are Gentiles. Given the fact that I was sent to the Gentiles, I make a lot ofj this ministry of mine.


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 After all, if their rejection spells the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be? Won’t it be resurrection from among the dead?


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 And if the first portion of dough is holy, so is the main lump. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.


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 But supposel some of the branches were broken off. And suppose that you, a wild olive tree, were grafted in among the branches. You would then share in the benefit of the rich root of the olive tree.


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 Don’t brag at the expense of the branches that were broken off. And if you do brag against them, remem­ber: you don’t support the root-the root supports you.


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 Fair enough. It was because of faithlessness that they were broken off, and you’ve stood in their place because of faith. Don’t get big ideas about yourself, but instead be afraid.


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 So notice the kindness-and the ruthlessnessm.-of God. Those who fell got ruthlessness, but you got the kindness of God-that is, if you continue on in God’s kindness. Otherwise you’ll be cut off too.


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 And if they don’t continue on in faithlessness, they’ll be grafted in, because God is able to graft them back in again.


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 Isn’t it true that you were broken out of your native wild olive tree, and were grafted against nature into a culti­vated olive tree? If so, won’t these branches all the more be grafted into their own native tree?


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 Now, I want you to understand this secret,n brothers and sisters, so that you don’t think too highly of your­selves.o A partial hardening has come about in Israel, until the time when the full number of the Gentiles has come in.


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 It’s just like the scripture says:p. The Rescuer is going to come from Zion,q. And will turn godlessness away from Jacob.


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 So in terms of the good news, they are enemies because of you. But in terms of God’s choice, they are loved because of the ancestors.


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 So the result is, once you were disobedient to God-but now mercy has been given to you, because of their disobedience.


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 In other words, they have been disobedient because of God’s mercy to you, so that they too will now receive God’s mercy.


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 God’s wealth and wisdom and knowl­edge are so deep!s His decisions are so far beyond comprehen­sion, and his ways are so impossible to trace!


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 Who ever lent anything to him, and can expect to be repaid?u. After all, absolutely everything is from him and because of him and for him. May he get the glory for all ages! Amen.


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 Living for God So, brothers and sisters, let mea appeal to you on the basis of God’s mercy. Present your bodies as a living, holy and pleasing sacrifice to God. That’s your true priestly service.b


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 And don’t get drawn into the pattern of this world. Instead, be transformed by the total renewal of your mind. That way you’ll be able to discern God’s will: the things he sees as good, pleasing, and perfect.


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 I also say to every one of you, through the grace that’s been given to me: don’t get bigger ideas about yourself than you should. Instead, be clear-headed. Think in terms of God giving each of you a portion of faith.


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 And in the same way, there are lots of us, yet we are one body in Christ. Each one of us is a mem­ber withc all the others.


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 And we all have gifts, according to God’s grace, which is given out in a different way to each of us. If it’s prophecy, the grace comes out in proportion to the person’s faith.


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 If it’s service, it comes out in their service. If someone is a teacher, it comes out in their teaching.


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 If someone is gifted with encouraging people, it comes out in their encourage­ment. The giver gives wholeheartedly, the leader leads enthusiastically, the person who serves the needy does it joyfully.


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 Your love should be genuine. Let’s keep completely away from evil, and hold on tightly to what’s good.


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 Living as a Christian in Society Bless people who persecute you. Definitely bless them and don’t curse them.


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 Stay in close agreement with one another. Don’t be having big thoughts about yourselves-instead, let humble thoughts draw you away from pride. Don’t be getting clever in your own opinion.


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 Don’t take revenge for yourselves, dear friends. Instead, leave it to God’s wrath. After all, scripture says,j. Revenge is mine- I will pay them back, says the Lord.k


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 However, If your enemy is hungry, feed the person. If your enemy is thirsty, give the person a drink. Because if you do this, You will pile burning coals on the person’s head.l


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 Everybody should be obedient to the authorities that are over them. After all, there is no authority that isn’t under God. And the “powers that be” are set in place by God.


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 So the person who rebels against authority is resisting God’s order. And those who resist bring judgment on themselves.


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 Rulers aren’t anything to be afraid of for doing good, but only for doing what’s bad. You don’t want to be afraid of the government? Do good, and you’ll get praise from it.


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 It’s God’s servant for your own good. But if you do something bad, you should be afraid. After all, the government doesn’t have the sword for nothing. Again,a it’s God’s servant. It’s the instrument of wrath towards the person who does what is bad.


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 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to the tax collector, tolls to the toll collector. Respect whoever you should respect; honor whoever you should honor.


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 Don’t owe anyone anything except to love one another. The person that loves someone else has fulfilled the Law.c


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 There’s “Don’t break your marriage vows,”d “Don’t murder,” “Don’t steal,” “Don’t covet,”e and whatever other commandment there is-all of them are summed up in this one statement: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”f


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 And do all this knowing what moment we’re in in history: it’s already time for you to wake up from sleep. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first became believers.g


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 The night is nearly over, and the day is almost here. So let’s throw off ways that belong to the darkness, and put on the armor of light.


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 Let’s conduct ourselves decently, like we’re in the daytime. There shouldn’t be any orgies, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity,h petty fighting, and jealousy.


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 Living as a Christian among Your Fellow Christians Also, accept people that are weak in faith, without arguing every point.a


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 The person who eats meat shouldn’t despise the person who doesn’t eat it. And the person who doesn’t eat meat shouldn’t pass judgment on the person who does, since God has accepted them.


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 Who are you to pass judgment on somebody else’s servant? It’s up to the person’s own boss whether they stand or fall. And they will stand, because the Lord is able to holdc them up.


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 So,d one person regards one day as better in relation to another, and another person regards every day the same. Each person should be convinced in their own mind.


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 The person who regards a day as special regards it that way for the Lord. And the person who eats meat eats it for the Lord, since they’re giving thanks to God. And the person who doesn’t eat meat avoids eating meat for the Lord, and also gives thanks to God.


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 So if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.


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 This is the reason Jesus died and lived: so that he could be Lord both of the dead and of the living.


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 So you-why do you judge your brother or sister? And you-why do you despise your brother or sister? After all, we’re all going to stand in front of the judgment bench of God.


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 Because scripture says,e. By my life,f says the Lord, every knee is going to bend to me, and every tongue is going to admit that I am God.g


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 So let’s stop judging each other. Instead, determine this: not to put an obstacle in front of a brother or sister or anything that will trip them up.


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 I know-in fact, I’m convinced-in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unholyh in and of itself. However, if someone considers something unholy, it is unholy for them.


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 Soi if your brother or sister is harmed because of food that you eat, then you aren’t walking in line with love anymore. Don’t destroy a person Christ died for, by the food you eat!


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 After all, the kingdom of God isn’t about food and drinks, but about right livingk and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.


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 Don’t ruin God’s work for the sake of food. All foods are pure, but it’s still bad for a person to eat something that offends them.n


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 It’s better not to eat meat or to drink alcohol,o or to do anything that offends your brother or sister.


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 You have faith, and you should hold it yourself in front of God. The blessed person is the person that doesn’t condemn themselves by what they approve of.


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 But the person that doubts gets condemned if they eat, because it’s not from faith, and everything that’s not from faith is sin.


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 Those of us who are strong have a duty to support the weak pointsa of those who aren’t strong. And we shouldn’t just please ourselves:


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 After all, even Christ didn’t please himself-just the opposite. Like the scripture says,c The insults of those who insulted you landedd on me.e


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 All scriptures written in the past were written for our education. Their purpose is for us to have hope, which comes from the endurance and encouragement that the scriptures give.f


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 And may the God of endurance and encouragement give you the gift of being like-minded with one another, in agreement withg Christ Jesus.


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 That way, you’ll all have one purpose, and you’ll glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one voice.h


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 After all, Christ has come to be a servant of the Jewish people,i standing for the truth of God. That way, the promises made to the ancestors are going to be confirmed,


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 and the Gentiles will glorify God for his mercy. Like the scripture says,j. Because of this I’m going to proclaim you among the Gentiles, and I’m going to sing of your name.k


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 And here’s another, where Isaiah says, The root of Jesse is going to come, And he is going to rise up to rule the Gentiles. On him the Gentiles will place their hope.o


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 Sop may the God of hope fill you up completely with joy and peace as you trust Jesus, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.


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 Paul’s Reason for Writing This Letter I’m personally convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness: that you’re fully knowledgeable and able to counsel one another.q


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 Still, I’ve written to you a bit boldly sometimes. It’s like I’m reminding you, by the grace that’s been given to me by God.


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 That way, I’m like a priest of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles. I’m serving the good news of God, so that the offering of the Gentilesr will be totally acceptable, made holy by the Holy Spirit.


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 Of course,t I am not about to talk about anything that Christ didn’t work through me for the obedience of the Gentiles-by my speech and my actions,


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 by powerful miraclesu and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit. I’ve finally fully preached the good news of Christ-from Jerusalem, and all the way around as far as Illyricum.v


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 And all along, it’s been my passion to preach the good news where Christ has never been named. That way, I won’t be building on someone else’s foundation.


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 No, just like the scripture says,w People who never got news of him will see him, And people who’ve never heard will understand.x


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 But now I don’t have anyplace to call home in all those places. And for many years, I’ve been longing to visit you


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 on my way to Spain. In other words,y I hope to get to see you on my way through, and to be sent on to Spain by you,z after enjoying a bit of your company.


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 because Macedonia and Achaia thought it would be good to share something with the holy ones that are pooraa in Jerusalem.bb


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 Yes, they thought it would be good, and after all,cc they owe it to them. Because if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual gifts, then the Gentiles also owe it to them to serve them with practical gifts.dd


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 So, when I’ve finished this task, and I’ve stamped “delivery complete” on this harvest giftee for them, then I’ll set off for Spain via Rome.ff


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 And I really want to ask your help with something, brothers and sisters. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, please join me as I struggle hard in prayers for myself, in God’s presence.hh


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 Pray that I’ll be saved from the people who are disobedient in Judea,ii and that my service in going to Jerusalem will turn out to be totally acceptable to the holy ones.


text:
 Final Greetings I’d like to introduce our sister Phoebea to you. She’s a deaconb of the community in Cenchreae.c


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 I want you to receive her in the Lord in a way that’s worthy of the holy ones. And please give her whatever help she might need from you. After all, she’s been a financial support person to lots of people, including me personally.d


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 They’ve risked their own necks to protect me.f I’m not the only one who is grateful to them-so are all the Gentile communities.


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 And say hello to the community that meets at their house. Say hello to my dear friend Epaenetus.g He’s Asia’s first offering to Christ.


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 Say hellos to Andronicus and Junias,h my fellow expatriatesi and prison mates. They are famous as apostles,j and they were in Christ before me.


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 Say hello to Apellesn.-he’s tried and trueo in Christ. Say hellos to the people at Aristobulus’sp house.


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 Say hello to Herodian,q my fellow expatriate.r Say hellos to the people at Narcissus’s house who are in the Lord.


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 Say hellos to Tryphaena and Tryphosa,s hard workers in the Lord. Say hello to my dear friend Persis. She’s done so much hard work in the Lord!


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 Say hellos to Asynchretus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobus,t Hermas, and to the brothers and sisters with them.


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 Say hellos to Philologusu and Julia, Nereusv and his sister, and Olympas,w and all the holy ones with them.


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 Now I really ask you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on people who create divisions and things to trip over-who work against the teaching that you’ve learned. Avoid them!y


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 Because people like that don’t serve our Lord Jesus Christ-no, they serve their own selfish guts. And by using nice-sounding words and flattery, they trick innocent people.


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 After all, your obedience to God has touched everyone. So I’m really happy about you, and I want you to be sophisti­cated when it comes to the truth, but inexperienced when it comes to what’s bad.


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 And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you!


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 My co-worker Timothy says hello to you! So do Luke and Jason and Sosipater,z fellow expatriatesaa of mine.


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 Gaiuscc says hello to you-he’s my host, and also hosts the whole community here. Erastus,dd the city treasurer, says hello to you, and so does Quartus, his brother.


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 Paul’s Closing Prayer So,ee glory to God, the One who is able to strengthen you in the good news that I preach about Jesus Christ-in the revela­tion of the secret that was kept sealed up for long ages!


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 Yet now, through the prophetic scriptures, it has been brought out into the open by the command of the Eternal God. He did this so that the obedience of faith would be revealed to all the Gentiles!ff


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 PAUL’S FIRST LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY IN CORINTHa. From Paul, called out as an apostleb of Christ Jesus by the will of God-and from Sosthenes,c my Christian brother.d


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 To the community of God that’s in Corinth. You’vee been set apart for Godf in Christ Jesus—you’ve been called out to be holy ones, together with all people in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-their Lordg and ours.


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 Paul Thanks God for the Good Things about the Corinthians I’m thanking my God all the time about you, because of the grace that’s been given to you in Christ Jesus.


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 to the point that you’re not short on any spiritual gift as you look forward to the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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 He’s the one who’ll also strengthen you until you’re completely without fault in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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 God is faithful! And it’s through God that you’ve been called into the community of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Lord.


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 A Challenge to Agree Together and Stop Competing Now, I want to ask you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, for you all to agree together. And please don’t let there be divisions between you. Instead, be in harmonyi together, with the same mind and sense of purpose.


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 Because, my brothers and sisters, it’s been made clear to me, in hearing about you from Chloe’s people, that there are petty fights going on between you.


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 And here’s what I mean: Each of you is saying, either, “I’m with Paul!” or “I’m with Apollos!”j or “I’m with Cephas!”k or “I’m with Christ!”


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 Has Christ gotten divided up? Since when was Paul crucified for you? And since when were you baptized in Paul’s name?


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 The point is,n Christ didn’t send me to baptize. No, he sent me to preach the good news-without wise arguments,o so that Christ’s cross wouldn’t be drained of its power.p


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 After all, to people who are on the way to destruction, the message of the cross is foolishness. But to those of us who are being saved, it’s the power of God.


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 Because the scripture says,q. I’m going to destroy the wisdom of the wise, And I’m going to disqualify the cleverness of the clever.r


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 So where does that leave the wise person, the lawyer, the great debater of this world? Hasn’t God showns that the wisdom of this world is foolishness?


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 After all, in line with God’s wisdom, the world hasn’t known God through wisdom. So God’s preference is to save people who believe through the foolishness of the message that’s preached.


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 But we’re preaching Christ hanging on a cross. For Jews that’s offensive, and for Gentiles it’s foolishness.


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 Because God’s foolishness is wiser than all of humanity, and God’s weakness is stronger than all of humanity.u


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 After all, brothers and sisters, look at God’s calling of you. Because in terms of outward appearances,v not many of you were highly educated;w not many were powerful, not many were from the upper classes. Just the opposite!


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 God has especially chosenx the uneducatedy of this world, to completely shame the highly educated. And God has especially chosen the weak people of this world, to completely shame the powerful.


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 And God has especially chosen the people with no family name, the nobodies of this world, the nothings, to abolish the “somethings”.z


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 And it’s down to God that you’re all in Christ Jesus. He’s the one who has become wisdom from God for us, justice from God for us, dedication to God for us,bb and purchase out of captivity for us.cc


text:
 The Good News that Paul Preaches And remember when I came to you, brothers and sisters. I didn’t come and proclaim the secret of God to you using fancy words or wisdom.


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 Because I’d decided: with you, I wasn’t going to know anything except for Jesus Christ, and him hanging on a cross.


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 And as for me, it was in weakness and fear, and a whole lot trembling, that I came to stay with you.a


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 And as for my message and my preaching, those things weren’t wrapped in wise, persuasive words. No, they were backed up by the Spirit and by power,b


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 Now, we do express wisdom when we’re around mature people. But it’s not this world’s wisdom-and it’s not from this world’s rulersc either-they’re being abolished.d


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 No, we’re talking about God’s secret, hidden wisdom. It’s the wisdom that God had already decided on before all the ages,e for our glory.


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 It’s the wisdom that none of this world’s rulers knew about. After all, if they had known it, they wouldn’t have hung the Lord of Gloryf on a cross.


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 But as scripture says,g. Things that no eye has ever seen, And no ear has ever heard, And that never came up in any human heart, God has prepared for those that love God.h


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 And God has uncovered them for us through the Spirit! Because the Spirit searches out everything, even the deepest things of God.


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 After all, who knows the real things about a person, except for the person’s spirit, that’s inside them? In the same way, nobody knows the real things about God except the Spirit of God.


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 And we haven’t received the spirit of the world. No, we’ve received the Spirit who is from God, so that we’ll understand the things that have been given to us so freely by God.


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 And the things we’re talking about aren’t thingsi that can be taught by human wisdom. No, they’re taught by the Spirit, as we put together spiritual things for spiritual people.


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 Now, people operating on the natural principlej don’t accept the things of God’s Spirit, because they’re foolishness to them. And it’s impossible for them to recognize them, because they have to bek spiritually understood.l


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 Stop Competing and Bragging about Which Leader you Follow! Now as for me, brothers and sisters, I didn’t used to be able to talk to you as spiritual people. No, I had to treat you as people operating on the flesh principle,a as babies in Christ.


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 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you couldn’t handle it yet. In fact, you still can’t handle it now,


text:
 because you’re still fleshy. After all, when there’s jealousy and petty fighting among you, aren’t you being fleshy? And aren’t you living in line with the typical habits of humanity?


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 Because when someone says, “I’m with Paul,” and another person says, “I’m with Apollos,” aren’t you just acting like typical human beings?


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 So what is Apollos? And what is Paul? We’re servants, through whom you came to faith, as the Lord gave grace to each of us.


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 So it’s neither the person who plants nor the person who waters who is anything, but it’s God who makes things grow.


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 Now, the person who plants and the person who waters are one team. And each person will get their own wages, in line with their own labor.


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 By the grace of God that was given to me, I laid a foundation, like a wise architect. And someone else builds on it. And each person is going to have to pay attention to how they build!


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 Because the other person can’t lay down another foundation besides the one that’s already been laid, which is Jesus Christ.


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 But whether someone builds on that foundation with gold, or silver, or precious stones, or wood, or hay, or straw,


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 each person’s work is going to become visible. Because the Day of Judgment is going to make it obvious: it’s going to be revealed by fire. And the fire itself is going to test the quality of each person’s work.


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 If someone’s work burns down, they’ll lose everything. But they themselves will be saved-but it will be like coming out of a fire.


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 If someone tears down God’s temple, God’s going to tear them down. Because God’s temple is holy, and that’s just what you are.


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 Nobody should deceive themselves. If one of you thinks they’re wise in this world, they should learn to be foolish, so that they can learn to be wise.b


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 Because this world’s wisdom is foolishness to God. After all, scripture says,c. God’s the one who traps the wise in their own craftiness.d


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 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things here now, or things that haven’t happened yet, they’re all yours!


text:
 To take the idea further, a sought-after quality in caretakers is that theyc should be found faithful.


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 Now, to me it’s a small thing to be judgedd by you, or by any human court.e Far from it-I don’t even judge myself.


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 After all, I’m not conscious of anything against myself, but that certainly doesn’t mean I’m innocent.f No, the one who judges me is the Lord.


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 So you shouldn’t be pre-judging things-wait until the Lord comes. Then he’ll shine a light on the things hidden in the dark. He’s also going to reveal the motivations of people’s hearts. And then the praise each person gets will be from God.


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 Now, brothers and sisters, I’ve applied these things to myself and Apollos for your sake. The point is for you to learn the principle: “Don’t go beyond the scriptures,”g in relation to us. That way you won’t be all puffed up in favor of one person and against another.h


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 A Warning against Arrogance and Pride [[After all, who say’s you’re different? What do you have that you didn’t receive? And if you received it, why do you brag as though you didn’t receive it?


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 You’ve already gotten full; you’ve already gotten wealthy. You’ve started reigning like royalty without us. And it’d be better if you really did reign, so that we could have reigned with you too.


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 You know,i I think God has displayed us apostles last of all, like people just sentenced to death. Because we’ve become a spectacle in front of the world, and in front of angels, and in front of humanity.


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 We’re fools because of Christ, but you’re wise in Christ. We’re weak, but you’re strong. You’re highly regarded, but we’re worthless.


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 Right up to this very moment we’re both hungry and thirsty; we go naked, we get beat up, we’re forced to keep moving.


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 And we sweat,j working with our own hands. When people throw insults at us, we bless. When we’re persecuted, we put up with it.


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 When people say nasty things about us,k we answer back gently. It’s as though we’ve become the trash of the world, everybody’s dirt to be scraped off,l right to this moment.


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 I’m not writing these things to shame you. Far from it. I’m counseling you, as my children that I love.


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 After all, you may have had ten thousand tutors in Christ, but not a lot of fathers! Andm in Christ, through the good news, I became your father.


text:
 To help you with this, I’ve sent Timothy to you. He’s my child, whom I love, and who is faithful in the Lord. He’ll remind you of the wayo that I live in Christ Jesus-just like I teach everywhere, in every community.


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 I’ll be coming to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and then I’ll know not just the words of the people who’ve gotten puffed up, but their power.


text:
 What do you want? Do you want me to come to you with a switch?p Or do you want me to come with a loving and gentle spirit?]]


text:
 A Case of Sexual Immorality To put it bluntly,a it’s going aroundb that there is sexual immorality going on among you. And it’s a kind of sexual immorality that isn’t even practiced by the Gentiles-to the point that someone is having sex with his father’s wife.


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 And you’re puffed up about it! And shouldn’t you have been appalled, instead? So appalled that the person who did it would be removed from the community?c


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 Well, I may be away in terms of my body, but I’m with you in spirit. I’ve already decided aboutd the person who did such a thing, as though I were there with you.


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 In the name of thee Lord Jesus, you should get together, with my spirit there with you. With the power of our Lord Jesus,


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 hand over the person to Satan, for destruction of their body, so that their spirit might be saved on the Day of the Lord.f


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 Clean out the old yeast, so that you’ll be a fresh batch. Because you’re all supposed to be yeast-free. After all, Christ our Passoverh lamb has been sacrificed,


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 so let’s celebrate the feast!i And not with old yeast-in other words, j not with the yeast of nastiness and sexual immorality. No, let’s celebrate it with the yeast-free breads of sincerity and truth.


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 I was not saying you should totally avoid the sexually immoral people of this world, or the greedy ones, or the thieves, or the idol worshipers. After all, in that case you would have to leave the world altogether.


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 No, I wrote to you not to get mixed up with anyone calling themselves a brother or sister in Christ, if they were sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idol worshiper, or quick to curse people, or a drinker, or a thief. You shouldn’t even have a meal with that sort of person.


text:
 After all, what use is it for me to judge outsiders? Why don’t you judge those inside the community,l


text:
 Lawsuits between Members of the Community If one of you has a dispute with somebody else, do they try to go to trial with the unjust,a and not take it to the holy ones?


text:
 Or didn’t you know that the holy ones are going to judge the world? And if the world’s going to be judged by you, are you really unworthy of trying even the smallest cases?b


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 So if you have everyday disputes, are you going give the job of deciding them to people who aren’t even anything in the community?


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 I say this to your shame. So, isn’t there one single person in the community who is wise enough to be capable of adjudicating between fellow members?c


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 Frankly, it’s already a failure for you that you have lawsuits with one another at all. Why wouldn’t you sooner let yourselves be treated unjustly? Why wouldn’t you sooner let yourselves be cheated?


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 But no, you treat people unjustly, you cheat people, and you do it to your brothers and sisters, at that!


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 Or didn’t you know that unjust people won’t inherit the Reign of God? Don’t be fooled.d Neither sexually immoral people, nor idolaters,e nor people who cheat on their spouses, nor men who play the woman, nor men who have sex with boys,


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 nor thieves, nor people obsessed with getting more possessions,f nor drinkers, nor people who verbally abuse others,g nor people who rob othersh.-none of these are going to inherit the Reign of God.


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 And some of you were these things. But you’ve been cleansed. You’ve been set apart as holy. You’ve been found innocent by the power of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Spirit of our God.


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 Use your Body for God’s Glory-Not for Sexual Immorality  “Everything’s allowed for me”i.-but everything’s certainly not worth it. “Everything’s allowed for me"—but I’m not going to be controlled by anything.


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 “Food is for the digestive tract, and the digestive tract is for food”j.-and yet God is going to do away with both. Your body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for your body.


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 Don’t you know that your bodies are Christ’s body parts? So am I going to make Christ’s body parts parts of a prostitute? Absolutely not!k


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 Or maybe you didn’t know that a person who comes together with a prostitute is being one body with her? After all, it says, “The two will be one flesh.”l


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 Run away from sexual immorality! All sorts of sins that a person might do are outside the body. But people who are sexually immoral sin againstm their own bodies.n


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 Or maybe you didn’t know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you-who was given to youo from God. And so you’re not your own.


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 Marriage, Divorce, and the Benefits of Staying Single Now, as for the things you wrote to me about: yes, it is a good thing for a man to abstain from sexual contact with women.a


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 But because of issues of sexual immorality,b each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.


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 Husbands should give their wives the sexual attention they deserve,c and wives should do the same for their husbands.


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 The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but her husband does; in the same way, the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but his wife does.


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 Don’t deny each other-unless you’re doing it by agreement for a certain amount of time, so that you can devote yourselves to prayer.d But then come back together again. That way, Satan won’t tempt you by playing on your lack of self-control.


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 I’d still like for everyone to be like I am. However, each person has their own gift from God, whether it be the one way of living or the other.


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 But I want to say to those of you who are unmarried, and to the widows: it is a good thing for them to stay single like I am.


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 But if they don’t have the will-power for it, they should get married. After all, it’s better to get married than to be hot and bothered.f


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 And I pass on this command to the married people (it’s actually not me, but the Lord Jesus, who says this): that a woman shouldn’t break up with her husband.


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 And if she does break up with him, she should either stay unmarried or reconcile with her husband. And a man shouldn’t divorce his wife.g


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 Now, to everyone else, I want to say (this is me, not the Lord): If a brotherh has a wife who doesn’t believe, and she agrees to live with him, he shouldn’t divorce her.


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 And if one of the women has a husband who doesn’t believe, and he agrees to live with her, she shouldn’t divorce her husband.


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 After all, the unbelieving husband is made holy by his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by her Christian husband.i If that weren’t true, your children would be unclean-but as it is, they’re holy.


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 Now,j if the one who doesn’t believe breaks up with their believing spouse, then let them break up. The brother or sister isn’t bound in those sorts of cases. But God has called you to peace.


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 After all-wives, how do you know that you won’t save your husbands? And husbands, how do you know that you won’t save your wives?k


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 Unless the Lord has provided something different for a person, each person should keep living as they were when God called them. And that’s the instruction I give in all the communities.


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 Were you circumcisedl when you were called? Don’t try to cover it up. Were you uncircumcised when you were called? Don’t get circumcised.


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 Circumcision isn’t anything, and lack of circumcision isn’t anything-keeping God’s commands is what matters.m


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 Were you called as a slave? Don’t let it get you down. However, if you can get free, definitely go for it!


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 After all, the slave who is called by the Lord is the Lord’sn freed slave-in the same way, the person who is free when they’re called is Christ’s slave.


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 Now, as for people who are still virgins, I don’t have any instructions from the Lord. But I will offer an opinion, as a person who is trustworthy by the Lord’s mercy.


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 So, my sense is that virginityp is a good way to be. Because of the bad state things are in right now,q it’s better for a person to stay the same.


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 Are you bound to a wife? Don’t try to get released. Have you been released from your wife? Don’t try to find a wife.


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 But even if you do marry, you’re not sinning. And if a woman who is a virgin marries, she hasn’t sinned. But people who get marriedr are going to have troubles in life,s and I’m trying to spare you that.


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 And I’ll say this, brothers and sisters: the time is short! So from now on, people who have wives should be as though they didn’t have them,


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 people who cry should be as though they weren’t crying, people who celebrate should be as though they weren’t celebrating, people who buy things should be as though they didn’t own them,


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 and people who make use of this world should be as though they weren’t spending it up. Because the structure of this world is falling apartt.-


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 and I want you to be free from worries. An unmarried man worries about the Lord’s business: how to please the Lord.


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 And his attentionu has gotten divided. And a woman who is unmarried, or a woman who is a virgin, worries about the Lord’s business: how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman worries about the world’s business: how to please her husband.


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 Now, I’m saying this for your own benefit-and not at all to constrict you:v I’m just trying to provide for good order and undistracted devotion to the Lord.


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 Now, suppose one of you feels that he’s not treating his virgin girlfriend right.w If he’s fully mature,x and it has to be that way, let him do what he wants. He’s not sinning-let them get married.


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 Another person stands firm in his heart, doesn’t feel any pressure, and has control over his own will power. And this person has decided in his own heart to keep his girlfriend a virgin. He’s going to do fine.


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 So in other words, the person who marries his virgin girlfriend does fine; and the person who doesn’t marry her does even better.


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 A woman is bound by marriage as long as her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she’s free to marry anyone she wants to, as long as it’s in the Lord.y


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 But in my opinion, she’s more blessed if she stays as she is. And I also think that I have the Spirit of God.


text:
 Food Offered to Idols You also asked me about things offered to idols. We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs people up, but love builds people up.


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 So, we know this about food that’s been offered to idols: an idol isn’t anything real,b and there’s no god except the One God.


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 Now, there may be so-called “gods"—whether in heaven or on earth. And so in a sense there are lots of gods and lots of lords.


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 But for us, the Father is the One God. Everything comes from him, and we exist for him. And we have one Lord, Jesus Christ. Everything exists through him, and we exist through him.


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 However-not everybody knows that!c For example, some people are still under the influence of idol worship right now.d They eat things offered to idols, and their conscience, which is weak, gets polluted.


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 But food doesn’t get us approval with God. If we don’t eat something, we don’t get points taken away-and if we do eat, we don’t get more points.e


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 But just make sure that your confidencef in this doesn’t become something for weak people to trip over.


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 After all, suppose someone sees you sittingg down to eat in an idol temple. You know it’s okh.-but if that person has a weak conscience, won’t they be encouraged to eat things offered to idols?


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 Nowi the weak person is getting ruined by your knowledge—your brother or sister, that Christ died for!


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 And so when you sin against your brothers and sisters, and harm their consciences, you’re sinning against Christ.


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 The conclusion is, if that kind of food trips up my brother or sister, I will never, ever eat meat again, so that I will not make my brother or sister stumble.


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 Paul Defends his Apostleship and Explains his Choice to Support himself Financially [[I’m a free person, right? I’m an apostle, right? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?a


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 Maybe I don’t count asb an apostle to other people, but surely I am one to you! After all, you’re the proofc of my calling as an apostled in the Lord.


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 Don’t we even have the right to keep company with a Christian wife-like the rest of the apostles, and the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas?e


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 Who ever served as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, but doesn’t get to eat any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock of sheep and doesn’t get to drink any of the flock’s milk?


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 After all, it’s written in the Law of Moses, Don’t put a muzzle on the threshing ox.g. Is God really worried about oxen here?h


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 Or is God really saying this on our behalf? After all, this was written for our sake: The person who plows has to plow in hope, and the person who threshes has to thresh in hope, of receiving their share.i


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 If we’ve planted spiritual seeds in you, is it a big thing for us to harvest some material things with you?


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 If others have that right with you, wouldn’t we have even more right? But we’ve never made use of that right-just the opposite! We’ve covered all our own living costs,j so that we wouldn’t hinder the good news of Christ in any way.


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 Don’t you know that people who do the sacrifices eat some of the food from the Temple? That people who serve at the altar get a portion of what’s sacrificed?k


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 That’s also how the Lord instructed people who were going out to spread the good news: they should receive support from their evangelism work.l


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 Yet I haven’t made use of any of these privileges! And I’m not writing all this so that I’ll get them. Because I’d rather die than for anybody to make this an empty boast.


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 After all, if I preach the good news, there’s no boast for me in that. Because there’s a pressure that lies on me, and it would be horrible for mem if I didn’t preach the good news!


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 I mean, maybe if I were doing this because I wanted to, I’d deserven a reward. But if I don’t have any choice, then I’ve been made responsible for an ongoing task.o


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 So, what’s my reward? It’s that, as I preach the good news, I put it out there for free, and that I don’t make any use of my right in the good news to receive support.]]


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 Free in Christ to Put Others First for the Sake of the Good News Because even though I’m free, I’ve become a slave to everyone-to win more people to Christ.


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 I’ve lived like a Jewp for the sake of Jews, in order to win Jews. For the sake of people who are under the Law, I’ve lived as though I’m under the Law-not that I’m under the Law myself, but so that I’ll win people who are under the Law.


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 For the sake of people who don’t have the Law, I’ve lived as though I didn’t have the Law-it’s not that I don’t have God’s Law, but that I’m under Christ’s law. But it’s so that I’ll win people who don’t have the Law.


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 For the sake of people who are weak, I’ve become weak, so that I’ll win people who are weak. I’ve become all these things to all these people, so that one way or another, I’ll save some.


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 And I do everything for the sake of the good news, so that I’ll get the benefit of it along with everyone else.q


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 Don’t you know that of all the people who run in the sports arena, only one winsr the prize? Run to win!s


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 And every athlete trains all out-they do it to get a perishable crown,t but we’re going for a permanent one.


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 So I’m running this race, and I’m not making any secret of it. And I’m boxing, and not just shadow boxing, either!u


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 I toughen upv my body and train it to serve me.w Otherwise, after preaching to others, I might end up failing the test myself.


text:
 Warning: Your Baptism is Not Fire Insurance After all, I don’t want you to missa the fact that our ancestors were all under the cloud-and all of them had gone through the Red Sea.b


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 and drinking the same spiritual drink.d Because they were drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them,e and that rock was Christ.


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 However, God wasn’t happy with most of them, because their corpses ended up scattered in the desert.f


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 For example, don’t be idolaters,h like some of them. Just like the scripture says,i The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play around.j


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 And don’t be sexually immoral, like some of them were-and twenty-three thousand of them fell down dead in one day.k


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 Now, these things happened to them as examples. And they got written down as a warning to us, because we’re living at the end of the world.o


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 There hasn’t been any temptation pulling at you that isn’t standard human experience. And God is faithful. God won’t let you be tempted beyond your strength.p No, along with the temptation, God will also provide the way out that you can bear.


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 Think about the cup of blessing that we bless. Isn’t that a way of participating in the blood of Christ? What about the bread that we break? Isn’t that a way of participating in the body of Christ?


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 Consider the nation of Israel.r Aren’t the people who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar of sacrifice?


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 No, I’m saying that the things the Gentiles sacrifice are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to be participants in demonic beings.


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 You can’t drink the Lord’s cup and also the cup of demons. You can’t take part at the Lord’s table and also at the table of demons.


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 Supporting Others in Breaking from Idolatry “Everything’s allowed,” but everything’s certainly not worth it. “Everything’s allowed,” but everything sure doesn’t build people up.


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 No one should be looking for their own advantage-instead, they should be looking for the other person’s.


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 Go ahead and eatt everything sold at the butcher’s shop.u Don’t try to find out where it’s been before you buy it because of conscience.


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 Suppose a non-believing person invites you to dinner, and you want to go. Eat everything that’s put in front of you. Don’t try to figure out where it’s been before you eat it because of conscience.


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 But if someone says to you, “This is meat that’s been offered to idols,” don’t eat it-for the sake of the person who told you, and for the sake of conscience.


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 I’m not talking about your own conscience now, but about the other person’s. After all, why should my freedom be judgedw by somebody else’s conscience?


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 If I’m taking part with thankfulness, why should somebody be insulting mex about what I give thanks for?


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 So, whether you’re eating, or drinking, or whatever you’re doing, do everything for the glory of God.


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 That’s just what I do too. I alwaysaa try to put everyone at ease. I don’t look for my own benefit, but for everyone’s, so they’ll be saved. [I Corinthians 11:1] Imitate me in this, just as I’m imitating Christ.bb


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 Instructions about Women’s Participation in Worship Imitate me in this, just as I’m imitating Christ. I want to commend you for the waya you’ve been keeping all my teachings in mind.


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 Now, I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, the husband is the head of the wife, and God is the head of Christ.


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 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head. It’s just the same as having her hair cut off,


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 since “If she uncovers herself, a woman should be shorn.”b But if it is a disgrace for a woman to be shaved or shorn, then she should have her head covered.


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 A man doesn’t have to cover up his head, because he’s the image and glory of God. But a woman is the glory of her husband.


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 After all, just as woman comes from man, so man also comes through woman.f And they all come from God.


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 But if somebody seems to like arguing about this,i we don’t have a custom like that,j and neither do the communities of God.


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 The Lord’s Supper Now, in the instructions that I’m about to give, I won’t commend you. Because, far from being better off, you’re actually worse off by meeting together.


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 To start with, when you get together I hear that there are divisions between you. And I believe it to a certain extent.


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 After all, there have to be opposing groupsk among you, so that it’ll become clear which of you pass the test.


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 Because each person is taking more than their share of the meal, and one person is hungry and another person is drunk.


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 I mean, don’t you have things to eat and drink at home? Or are you going to despise the community of God, and make people who are in need feel ashamed?m What can I say to you? Cann I commend you? No, I can’t commend you for this.


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 After all, it was the Lord who gave me the tradition that I passed on to you: On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread.


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 And after he had given thanks, he broke it, and said,  “This is my body, which is for you. Do this to remember me.”


text:
 In the same way, he also took the cup after the meal. He said,  “This cup is the new covenant through my blood. Do this every time you drink this cup of wine, to remember me.”o


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 In other words,p every time you all eat the bread and drink the cup of wine, you announce the Lord’s death, until he comes.


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 So if someone eats the bread or drinks the cup of wine in a way that’s unworthy, they’re sinning againstq the body and blood of the Lord.


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 So people should be examining themselves-and that’s the way they should be eating from the bread and drinking from the cup.r


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 Because people are eating and drinking judgment on themselves when they eat and drink without recognizing the Body.


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 But when we’re judged by the Lord, we’re being disciplined so that we won’t be condemned along with the world.


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 If somebody’s hungry, they should eat at home, so that you don’t get together and end up getting judged. And all the rest I’ll lay out when I come.


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 Gifts from the Holy Spirit You also asked me about the spiritual gifts.a Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about this.


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 You know how, back when you were Gentiles, you always used to get led astray to deaf and dumb idols.b


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 So I’m letting you know that no one speaking throughc the Spirit of God says, “A curse on Jesus!” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except throughd the Holy Spirit.


text:
 For example: through the Spirit, a person is given wisdom about something. Another person is given knowledge about something, through the same Spirit.


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 Somebody else is given faith by the same Spirit; another is given gifts of healings by the one Spirit.


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 Someone else again is given displays of power;g another person prophecy, somebody else abilities to discern spirits, another person various inspired languages, and another person the interpretation of inspired languages.


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 But one and the same Spirit activates all these things, giving gifts out to each individual person just as the Spirit pleases.h


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 We are All One Body-the Body of Christ After all, we have one bodyi and it has many parts, and the many parts formj one body. And it’s the same way with Christ.


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 Because we’ve all been baptized into one body by one Spirit-whether we were Jews or non-Jews,k slaves or free. And we’ve all been given one Spirit to drink.


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 Suppose the foot says, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body”. Does that make it not belong to the body?


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 Orl suppose the ear says, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body”. Does that make it not belong to 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 about hearing, then where would the sense of smell be?


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 and the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”


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 And that goes for the parts of the body that we see as unpresentable. We treat those parts with extra respect by clothing them, and our unpresentable parts become the most presentable.n


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 But our presentable parts don’t need any extra attention.o But God has knit the body together in a way that gives the weaker part the most respect.


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 That’s so that there won’t be any division within the body, but just the opposite: all the parts will have the same care for one another.


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 And if one part suffers, all the parts suffer along with it. If one part gets glory, all the parts celebrate with it.


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 And God appoints people in the community: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers. Then displays of power, gifts of healings, acts of service, gifts of management,p various inspired languages.


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 Surely you’re not all apostles, are you? You’re not all prophets, or teachers, or miracle workers,q are you?


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 Does everyone have gifts of healings? Do you all speak inspired languages? Canr everyone interpret them? Of course not.


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 Love-the Greatest Value of All Suppose I can speak human languages, and even angelic languages-but I don’t have love. I’ve become a ringing gong or a crashing cymbal.


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 And suppose I have the gift of prophecy, and I know all the secrets there are, and have all the knowledge there is, and if I even have all the faith in the world, so that I can move mountains from one place to another. But if I don’t have love, I’m nothing.


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 And suppose I give away all my possessions, and I even get myself arrested so that I can brag about it. But if I don’t have love, I haven’t gotten anything out of it.


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 or disruptive; It doesn’t insist on its own way. It isn’t easily provoked; It doesn’t keep a tab of wrongs.a


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 It protects all things, It believes in all things, It hopes for all things, It holds true to all things.


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 Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they’ll come to an end. If there are languages, they’ll stop. If there’s knowledge, it will come to an end.


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 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I reasoned like a child. Now that I’ve become an adult,e I’ve finished with the things of my childhood.


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 After all, we are now seeing things dimly through a mirror. But then it’ll be face to face! Now I know about some parts, but then I’ll fully understand-just as I’ve been fully understood.


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 Sof now there are these three things that last: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of the threeg is love.


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 Prophesying and Speaking in Inspired Languages in Meetings Really go for love as you aspire to spiritual gifts-but especially aspire to the gift of prophecy.a


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 Because the person who speaks in an inspired language isn’t speaking to other people, but to God. After all, no one understands it: they’re saying secret things through the Spirit.


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 People who speak in an inspired language build themselves up,b whereas a person who prophesies builds up the community.


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 And I want you all to speak in inspired languages, but even more I want you to prophesy. And the person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in inspired languages-that is, unless the person interprets it, so that the community can be built up.c


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 But now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in inspired languages, what good am I going to do you? None, unless I’m going to tell youd some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching.


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 It’s the same way with musical instruments,e like flutes or harps. If the instrument doesn’t make a distinction between the notes, how will the tune being played on the flute or the harp be recognized?


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 It’s the same with you. If you don’t offer a recognizable message with your tongue, how is anybody going to know what’s being said?f Won’t you just be talking into the air?


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 I suppose there’s any number of different languagesg in the world-and none of them is without meaning.


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 Buth if I don’t know the meaning of the language, I’m going to be a gibberish speakeri to the one who’s talking, and they’re going to be a gibberish speaker to me.


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 It’s the same with you. Since you’re excited about “spirits,”j be trying to be building the community up more and more.k


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 Because if I’m praying in an inspired language, my spirit is praying, but my mind isn’t contributing anything.l


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 So what’s the solution? I’m going to pray with my spirit, and I’m going to pray with my mind too. I’m going to sing praise with my spirit, and I’m going to sing praise with my mind too.


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 After all, if you bless with your spirit, think of the person who’s in the position of a newcomer. How are they going to say “Amen” to your prayer of thanks, since they don’t know what you’re saying?


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 But in the community meeting, I’d rather say five words with my mind, so that I can teach others too, than ten thousand words in an inspired language.


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 Brothers and sisters, don’t be childishm in your thinking. Instead, “Lose your naiveté, not your innocence.”n


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 It’s written in the Law: In foreign languages And through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, And even so they won’t listen to me, says the Sovereign One.o


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 So inspired languages aren’t supposed to be a sign from God for the believers, but for the unbelievers. And prophecy isn’t for the unbelievers but for the believers.


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 So, say the whole community gets together, and everybody speaks in inspired languages. And now, in come some newcomers or unbelievers. Won’t they think you’re crazy?p


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 But if you all prophesy, and an unbeliever or a newcomer comes in, they’ll be challengedq by all of you.


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 The secrets of their hearts will be revealed, and so they’ll fall on their face and worship God. They’ll say, “God is really with you!”r


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 So what’s the result, brothers and sisters? Whenever you get together, each person has a song of praise, a teaching, a revelation, an inspired language, or an interpretation. Everything should be edifying.s


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 If someone speaks in an inspired language, it should be two, or at the most three, and one at a time. And somebody should interpret.


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 But suppose there isn’t a person to interpret. They should be quiet in the community meeting, and speak to themselves and God.t


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 And if something gets revealed to somebody else who’s sitting down, the first person should be quiet.


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 After all, God is not the God of confusion, but of peace. The Role of Women (see also 1 Cor. 11:2-16) As in all the communities of the holy ones,


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 the women should be quiet in the community meetings. Because they’re not allowed to speak. Instead, they should be obedient to their husbands, just as the Law says.


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 And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home. After all, it’s shameful for a woman to speak in the community meeting.


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 If someone thinks they’re a prophet or spiritually gifted, they should recognize that the things I’m writing to you are the Lord’s command.


text:
 In conclusion, brothers and sisters, try to prophesy, and don’t stop people from speaking in inspired languages.


text:
 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Now, brothers and sisters, I want to tell you about the good news that I preached to you. It’s the good news that you accepted, and in which you stand.


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 You’re being saved by this message, which I preached to you, if you hold on to it. That is, unlessa you’ve believed for nothing!


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 Because I handed over to you, right at the beginning,b what I received: that Christ died for our sins in line with the scriptures,


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 and then by more than five hundred brothers and sisters all at once. Of those, most are still around today, but some have passed away.f


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 After all, I’m the least of the apostles. I’m not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the community of God.


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 But it’s by God’s grace that I am what I am. And God’s grace in me hasn’t turned out to be empty! No, I’ve worked harder than all of them. But it’s definitely not me-it’s the grace of God that’s with me.


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 Our Future Resurrection-and the Resurrection of All Humanity But if Christ is being preached as raised from among the dead, how is it that some of you say that there’s no resurrection of the dead?


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 And we are also shown up to beh false witnesses against God! Because we’ve testified about God that God raised Christ. And God didn’t raise Christ if the dead aren’t raised.


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 If we’ve only been hoping in Christ in this life, we’re about the most pitiful people in all of humanity.


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 But the fact is, Christ has risen from among the dead. He’s the first harvest of those who’ve passed away.j


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 After all, since death came through a human being, resurrection of the dead also came through a human being.


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 but each in their own proper order:k Christ the first harvest, then those who belong to him, at his coming,


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 then the end. That’s when he hands the kingdom over to God the Father.l It’s when he does away with all rule and authority and power.


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 because God has subjected everything under his feet.n. And when it says that “everything’s been subjected,” it obviously doesn’t include the One who subjected everything to him.


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 So, when everything’s subject to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the One who subjected everything to him. That way God will be everything, in everyone.o


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 Otherwise, what are they going to be doing when they’re baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead aren’t raised at all, why are people being baptized for them?


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 If it was just for human reasons that I’ve fought wild animals in Ephesus,r what have I gained? If the dead aren’t raised, Let’s eat and drink-after all, we’re going to die tomorrow!s


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 You need to really sober up and stop sinning, because some of you don’t know God.u I say this to your shame.


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 Our Resurrection Bodies-Will they be the Same, or Different? However, somebody is going to say, “How are the dead raised? And what kind of body do they have?”


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 And what you plant isn’t the body that is going to be, but just a bare seed-such as wheat, maybe, or some other grain.


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 Bodies aren’t all the same.w There’s one flesh for human beings, another for wild animals, another for birds, and another for fish.


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 And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies-but the glory of the heavenly bodies is far different from that of the earthly ones.


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 The sun has one glory, the moon has another, and the stars have another. And of course,x one star differs in glory from another.


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 It’s the same with the resurrection of the dead. The body is planted in a process of breaking down; it’s raised invulnerable to breaking down.y


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 It’s planted a soul-based body; it’s raised a Spirit-based body.z If there’s a soul-based body, there’s also a Spirit-based body.


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 Just like the scripture says,aa The first human being, Adam, became a living soul.bb. But the last Adam became an enlivening Spirit.


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 But the Spirit-based human being isn’t first, but rather the soul-based one. Afterwards comes the Spirit-based one.


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 The first human being comes from the soil, and is made of earth. The second human being comes from heaven.


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 Whatever the original earth-based human being is like, that’s what wecc earth-based human beings are like, too. And whatever the heavenly one is like, that’s what the heavenly ones are going to be like, too.


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 And just as we’ve borne the stamp of what’s earthly, we’re going to bear the stamp of what’s heavenly, too.


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 And I’ll say this, brothers and sisters: flesh and blood can’t inherit Heaven’s Reign. And what breaks down isn’t going to inherit invulnerability to breaking down.


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 Look, I’m going to tell you all a secret. We’re not all going to pass away. But we’ll all be transformed


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 in an instant-in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.dd Because the trumpet is going to blow-and the dead are going to be raised, invulnerable to breaking down. And we’re going to be transformed.


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 Because this body, which is vulnerable to breaking down, is going to be clothed with invulnerability to breaking down. And this mortal body of ours is going to be clothed with immortality.


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 And when this mortal body of ours is clothed with immortality, then the words of scriptureee will come true: Death is swallowed in victory!ff


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 In conclusion, my brothers and sisters, be strong, be impossible to move. Always be overflowing in the Lord’s work, because you know your hard work in the Lord isn’t for nothing.hh


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 Instructions about a Collection for Famine Relief in the Land of Israel Now, about the collection for the holy ones:a I want you to do the same thing I told the communities in Galatia.


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 On the first day of each week, each of you should put aside whatever amount you can afford. That way, when I come, there won’t have to be a number of collections.


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 Then, when I arrive, I’ll send off the people you’ve recommended with letters,b and they’ll bring your gift to Jerusalem.


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 And I might stay with you a while, or even stay the winter. That way, you can send me on my way to wherever I go next.


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 After all, I don’t just want to see you in passing this time. I’m hoping to spend some real time with you, if the Lord lets me.


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 Now, if Timothy comes, make him feel at easee while he’s with you. After all, he’s doing the Lord’s work just like I am-


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 so no one should look down on him.f Send him along in peace so that he can come to me. Because I’m looking forward to seeing him, and so are the brothers and sisters here.


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 Now as for my brother Apollos,g I had strongly encouraged him to come to you with the other brothers.h And he really didn’t want to come now,i but he’ll come when there’s a good opportunity.


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 Now, I want to ask you a favor, brothers and sisters. You know about Stephanas’sk family-how they’re the first harvest for Christ in Achaia,l and how they’ve devoted themselves to serving the holy ones.


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 I want you to be of service tom people like them-and to everyone who does the same hard work with them.


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 I’m so happy that Stephanas and Fortunatusn and Achaicuso have come! They’ve made up for the fact that I miss all of you,p


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 The communities here in Asiaq say hello. Prisca and Aquila send you all a big hello in the Lord, along with the community that meets in their house.


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 All the brothers and sisters here say hello. Say hello to each other and give each other a holy kiss.r


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 PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY IN CORINTHa. Greeting From Paul, an apostleb of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and from Timothy our brother. To the community of God that’s in Corinth, together with all the holy ones who are in all of Achaia.c


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 God Comforts us in All our Troubles Blessd God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion, and the God of all encouragement.


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 God’s the One who encourages us in all our troubles.e That way, we can encourage people in all kinds of trouble, thanks to the encouragement that we ourselves have received from God.


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 Because just as Christ’s sufferings are overflowing in us, through Christ our encouragement is also overflowing.


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 So if we’re experiencing trouble, it’s for your encouragement and salvation. And if we’re being encouraged, it’s to give you encouragement,f as you endure the same sufferings that we’re experiencing.


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 And our hope for you is solid. Because we know that ifg we’re partners in suffering, we’re equally partners in encouragement.


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 Explanation of Setbacks and Changes in Travel Plans After all, brothers and sisters, we want you to knowh about the trouble we’ve faced in Asia-how we were completely weighed down, beyond our strength. It was to the point that we even gave up hope of coming out of it alive.i


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 But we’ve been carrying a death sentence inside so that we won’t have confidence in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.


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 God has saved us from some really horrible deaths,j and is going to save us.k God is where our hope lies.l And God’s going to save us again,


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 with you helping us in prayer. That way, thanksgiving will be offered by many people for God’s gift to us, through many people’s prayers on ourm behalf.


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 Because we can proudly affirm the testimony of our conscience:n that we’re not operating in human wisdom, but in God’s grace. And we’ve lived in the world in the wholeheartednesso and sincerity of God-and especially in our relationship with you.


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 And I hope that you’ll understand completely, just as you’ve understood us to a certain extent so far.p Because on the day of our Lord Jesus, you’re going to be proud of us, just like we’re going to be proud of you.q


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 I was going to go by way of you to Macedonia,s then back again from Macedonia to you, and then, with your help, on to Judea.


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 So that’s what I wanted to do. Did I suddenly turn fickle? Or do I make plans for my own selfish purposes, so that I can say “yes, yes” one minute, and “no, no” the next?t


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 After all, consider God’s son Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us-myself and Silvanusv and Timothy. He didn’t turn out to be “yes” and “no”: far from it! The answer turned out to be “yes” in Christ.


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 Because all of God’s promises are “yes” in him. So thanks to Christ, the “Amen” to God’s glory comes from us.


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 And on my life before God,w I testify that it was to spare you that I decided I wouldn’t come to Corinth after all.


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 We’re not going to dominatex your faith. No, we’re working together with you for your happiness, because you’re standing in faith.


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 Paul’s Decision to Wait before Visiting the Corinthians Soa I made a decision for myself: I wouldn’t make another painful visit to you.


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 And that’s exactly what I wrote, so that I wouldn’t come and be hurt by the very ones who should make me happy.b As I thought of you all, I was convinced that my happiness was in everybody’s happiness.c


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 After all, I wrote you in a lot of distress and heartbreak-with a lot of tears. It was the opposite of my intention for you to be hurt-I wanted for you to know how very deeply I love you.d


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 Well, if somebody’s hurt somebody, they haven’t hurt me. No, to a certain extent-not to exaggerate-he’s hurt you all.


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 So now it’d be better for you to forgive the person and encourage him. That way the person won’t be sort of overwhelmed by too much grief.


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 After all, that’s exactly why I wrote: so I’d know what you’re made of-if you’d be obedient all the way.


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 But if you forgive somebody something, so do I. Because the thing I’m forgiving them for-if there is something to forgive them for-I’m forgiving it for your sake, in the presence of Christ.


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 But I didn’t have any rest in my spirit about the fact that I hadn’t found my brother Titus.g So I said goodbye to them and went off to Macedonia.


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 Well, thank God for always leadingh us in the victory procession in Christ-and for spreadingi the scent of the knowledge of God through us in every location.


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 Because whether we’re among people who are being saved or lost, we’re the wonderful scent of Christ in the presence of God.j


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 For some it’s the smell of death and leads to death, but for others it’s the smell of life and leads to life. And who’s adequate for all this?


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 After all, we’re not making a profit on God’s word, like a lot of people are. Just the opposite: we’re coming out of sincerity. In Christ, we’re speaking from God and in front of God.


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 Servants of the New Covenant Are we starting to try to get your acceptance again?a Or maybe we don’t need letters of recommendation to or from you, like some people do.


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 You’re on display because you’re Christ’s letter, which is in our care.c It’s not written with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God-not written on stone tablets, but on human hearts.d


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 It’s not that we’re adequate on our owne to consider anything as coming from us. Far from it: our adequacy is from God.


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 And God’s the One who has made us adequate as ministers of the new covenant-a covenant not of text,f but of the Spirit. Because the textg kills, but the Spirit brings to life.


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 Now, the ministry of death, engraved on stones, came with glory. So much so, that Israelitesh couldn’t look at Moses’ face, because of the glory of his face-which was fading!i


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 Because if there’s glory in the ministry of condemnation, then the ministry that enables people to live right is going to have far more glory.j


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 Because even what has been glorious, isn’t glorious anymore, when set alongside this exceptional glory.


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 not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face. (That way, the Israelitesl couldn’t stare at the tail end of the glory that was disappearing.)


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 After all, the same veil still lies over the reading of the old covenant to this day. It’s never been lifted.n Because in Christ it’s done away with-yet to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.


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 And we’re all there with unveiled faces, reflectingp the glory of the Lord. And we’re being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory! It’s all from Lord, the Spirit.


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 We are Treasures in Containers Made of Clay So, since we have this ministry thanks toa God’s mercy, we don’t give up.


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 Instead, we renounce the secrecy of shameful behavior. We don’t live in deceitfulness, and we don’t distort God’s word into a lie. Just the opposite: in openness and truthfulness,b we recommend ourselves to everybody’s conscience in front of God.


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 The god of this worldc is among them, and has made faithless people’s ways of thinking blind. That way, they never clearly seed the bright light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.


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 After all, we’re not preaching ourselves: we’re preaching Jesus Christ as Lord. And we position ourselves as your servantse because of Jesus.f


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 After all, the same God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness”g is the One who has shined in our hearts. So our hearts are lit up byh the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.


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 But we have this treasure in containers made of clay. That way, the ultimate power will be God’s, and not from us.


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 Everywhere we’re under pressure, but we’re not crushed. We’re at the end of our rope, but not in despair.


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 We always carry the death of Jesus with us in our bodies. That way, the life of Jesus can also be manifested in our bodies.


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 Because we who are alive are constantly being handed overi to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus can be manifested in our mortal bodies.j


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 But we have the same spirit of faith as in the scripture,k “I believed, so I spoke”.l We believe, so we speak.


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 We know that the One who raised Jesusm is going to raise us with Jesus too-and bring us to him along with you.


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 Because it’s all for you,n so that as grace expands to more and more people, thanks will overflow and God will get more glory.o


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 That’s why we don’t give up. Not at all! Even if our outer self is falling apart,p our inner self is being renewed day by day:


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 this light, short-lived trouble of ours is bringing about an absolutely unsurpassed, and eternal, level of glory in us.q


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 Our Hope of an Eternal Home After all, we know that if our home on the earth, this “tent” of ours, is taken down, we have a building from God as our home. That one’s not made by human hands-it’s eternal in the heavens.a


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 Yes, while we’re in this tent we groan under a burden. Because we don’t want to undress-we want to put something on over what we’re wearing. That way, what’s mortal will be swallowed up by life.


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 And the One who has prepared us for exactly that is God, who has given us the Spirit as a down payment.


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 So we always keep up our courage. And we keep in mind thatc while we’re at home in our body, we’re not home with the Lord.


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 And we also take courage as we sense thate it’s better to be away from the home of our body and to be home with the Lord.


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 After all, we all have to appear in front of Christ’s judgment bench.g And each person is going to getpaid backh for the things they’ve done while they were in their body,i whether good or bad.


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 Why we Preach the Good News of Jesus Christ So, because we know what it is to respect the Lord,j we try to win people over. And what we’re doing is obvious to God. But I also hope that it’llk be obvious to your conscience.


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 We’re not trying to get in your good graces all over again:l far from it. We’re giving you an opportunity to be proud of us-so that you’ll have something to say to those who base their pride on appearances, rather on the heart.


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 Because Christ’s love compels us, when we conclude that One died on behalf of everyone. That implies that everybody died.m


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 And when he died for everyone, it was so that those who live would not live for themselves anymore, but for the One who died and rose on their behalf.


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 Messengers of Reconciliation with God So from now on, we don’t look atn anybody on the basis of their outward condition,o Even though we once saw Christ that way,p we don’t seeq him that way anymore.


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 The conclusion is that if somebody’s in Christ, they’re a new creation. The old is gone; now the new has come.


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 And it’s all from God. It’s none other than God who reconciled us to God through Christ. And God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.


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 Just as God was in Christ, reconciling the world back to God-not counting their offenses against them-so God has also put the message of reconciliation in us.


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 So we’re ambassadors on Christ’s behalf. It’s as though God were pleading through us, when we ask on behalf of Christ: come backr to God!


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 God appointed the One who never sinned To be a sin offering on our behalf, So that in him We could come to embody God’s just character.s


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 Because it says, I heard you at a good moment, And I rescued you on a day for salvation.a. Look-now is the right moment; now is the day for salvation.


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 No, as God’s servants, we try to stay in everybody’s good graces.b We have a lot of endurancec.-in troubles, in struggles, in difficulties,d


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 through honorh and dishonor, through slander and praise, sometimes seen as liars, sometimes seen as truthful,


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 sometimes unknown and sometimes recognized. Sometimes we’re just about dying, but see-we’re still alive. We’re beaten but not killed.


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 We’re in pain yet we celebrate; we’re poor yet we make lots of people rich; we have nothing, yet we possess everything.


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 We are Not the Ones Holding Back-You are We’ve opened up to you,i Corinthians. We’ve laid our hearts wide open.


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 You are God’s Temple (see 1 Cor. 5:9-11) [[Don’t get mismatched withl unbelievers. After all-what do right living and lawlessness have in common? What kind of relationship can there be between light and darkness?


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 And what agreement is there between Christ and Beliar?m What commonality is there between faith and unbelief?


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 And what agreement can there be between the Temple of God and idols? After all, wen are the temple of the Living God. It’s just like God said: I am going to live among them and walk among them, And I’m going to be their God, And they’re going to be my people.o


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 So come out from being in with them, And be separate, says your Sovereign, And don’t touch what’s filthy. And then I’ll take you in,p


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 And I’ll be a father to you, And you’ll be sons and daughters to me,q. Says your Sovereign, the All Powerful.


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 So, since we have these promises, dear friends, let’s cleanse ourselves from every kind of physical and spiritual pollution. Let’s be completely holy, in reverence for God.a.]]


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 Let us Back into your Hearts Let us in.b We haven’t been unfair to anyone, we haven’t corrupted anyone, and we haven’t tricked anyone out of their money.


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 I’m not saying that to criticize-because, as I said before, you’re in our hearts, to live together and die together.


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 I have a lot of confidence in you. I’m very proud of you. I’m full of encouragement, and I’m overflowing with joy in the midst of our troubles.


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 Paul’s Relief That their Hearts Have Changed Because when we got to Macedonia, we didn’t get any physical restc.-just the opposite. We were in all kinds of trouble: we had conflicts outside, and fears inside.


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 And it wasn’t just his arrival that encouraged us, but also the encouragement that he felt about you. He was telling us about your yearning, your sorrow, your passionate feelings on my behalf. I was so much happier when I heard that!f


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 Because even if I did hurt you in that letter, I don’t regret it, although I did at first.g (After all,h I see that the letter hurt you-even if just for a moment.)


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 Because you were hurt with God’s kind of pain,j so that you weren’t harmed by us at all. Because God’s kind of pain brings about a change of heartk that leads to salvation without regret-but the world’s pain leads to death.l


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 After all, look at exactly what God’s kind of painm accomplished in you: not just active commitment, not just determination to clear yourselves, not just anger, not just alarm, but also yearning, passion, and action to right the wrong. In every way, you’ve shown yourselves to be innocent in this thing.n


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 So if I did write to you that way, it wasn’t because of the person who had done wrong, and it wasn’t because of the person who was wronged. It was so that your active commitment to uso would be revealed to you in front of God.


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 That’s why we’re encouraged. In addition to this encouragement of ours, we were all the more happy that Titus was happyp.-that his spirit was at peace about you all.


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 Because although I’ve bragged a bit about you to him, I haven’t been ashamed. Not at all. We’ve been truthful in everything we’ve said to you about ourselves, and the positive things we said to Titus about you have also turned out to be just as true.q


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 And he keeps feeling better and better about the way you all listened to him, because he remembers how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.r


text:
 News and Instructions about the Collection for Famine Relief in the Land of Israel (see 1 Cor. 16) Brothers and sisters, we want to let you know about the grace of God that’s been given to the communities in Macedonia.


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 In the midst of the intense testing of religious persecution,a the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, have totally overflowed into wholehearted generosity on their part.


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 Because they gave as much as they were able, and-as I can testify-beyond their ability, on their own initiative.


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 They were asking us-really begging us-if they could join in the gift and the common effort of service to the holy ones.b


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 Although it wasn’t what we expected, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, by God’s will.c


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 The result was that we encouraged Titus (since he started it) to finish making up the gift with you.


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 After all, you have plenty of everything: faith, eloquence, knowledge, and active commitment-plus the love for us that you share.d So no doubt you’ll have plenty for this gift too.


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 I’m not saying this as an order. I’m just testing out the genuineness of your love by telling you about the active commitment that others have shown.


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 After all, you know the gift that our Lord Jesus Christ gave us: how he was rich, but he made himself poor, so that through his poverty you could become rich.


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 Soe I’ll give you my opinion about this: it’s actually better for you this way,f given that you started out last year not just doing it, but wanting to do it.


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 So now just finish up the project. That way, just as you’ve been willing and eager, you can now finish up with however much you can afford.g


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 Because if somebody’s eager to give, their gift will be appreciatedh on the basis of what they have, not on the basis of what they don’t have.


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 After all, the point is not to create relief for others and distress for you. No, it’s a matter of fairness.


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 At the moment, your extra supply is going towards their shortage. Then someday their extra supply can go towards your shortage. That way it’ll be equal.


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 Just like the scripture says:i The person with a lot didn’t have too much, And the person with a little didn’t go short.j


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 Well, thank God, who has putk into Titus’s heart the same active commitment towards you that we have.


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 Because he didn’t just accept our request: he was so strongly committed that he has started out on his own to come to you.


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 And we’ve sent with him the brother who is well recognizedl by all the communities for his preaching of the good news.


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 And not only that-he’s also been elected by the communities as our traveling companion as we deliver this gift for them.m It’s for the Lord’s own glory and in fulfillment of our strong commitment.n


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 After all, we’re keeping in mind not only “what’s good in the Lord’s eyes,” but also what’s good “in people’s eyes”.p


text:
 We’ve also sent our brother with them. We’ve tested him and found him to be committed many times, in all kinds of ways. And now he’s all the more committed, because he’s totally confident in you.


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 As for Titus, he’s my partner and my coworker on your behalf. As for our other two brothers, they’re representativesq from the communities, and they’re an honor to Christ.


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 So I’m sure you’ll show them your love. And in front of all the communities, give them proof of the positive things we’ve said about you.r


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 because I know how committed you are.b I bragged to the Macedoniansc about it: “Achaiad has been ready since last year”. And your enthusiasm has provoked most of them to give more.


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 But I’ve sent the brothers to make sure that our bragging about you about this won’t be empty. Just as I’ve been telling people, you’ll be ready.


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 It won’t somehow turn out that people from Macedonia will come with me, and discover that you’re not ready. We’d be embarrassed if that happenede.-not to mention you!


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 So I’ve decided I’d better ask the brothers to go to you ahead of us. And they’ll pre-arrange the generous giftf that you originally promised. That way, what’s prepared will be a generous gift,g and not like something squeezed out of you.h


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 I will say this, though. “The person that plants sparingly will harvest sparingly too. And the person that plants generously will also harvest generously”.i


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 Each person should give just as they’ve decided beforehand in their heart-not out of guiltj or compulsion. Because “God loves a person that gives joyfully”.k


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 And God is able to make all kinds of grace overflow for you, so that in every way, at every moment, you’ll have everything you need. And you’ll overflow into doing all kinds of good things.


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 Just like scripture says,l. They distribute good things, They give to the poor. The good they do lasts forever.m


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 And God, who supplies seed to the person who plants, and bread for food, is going to supply and multiply your supply of seed. And God is going to cause an abundant harvest to come from the good thing you’ve done.n


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 You’ll be wealthy in every way, and so you’ll be totally wholehearted.o And that will result in our giving thanks to God.


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 Because this service projectp isn’t just meeting the needs of the holy ones:q it’s also overflowing into lots of thanksr to God.


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 Through the successs of this service project, people are going to be glorifying God. They’ll glorify God for your obedience to your public profession of the good news of Christ, and for the wholehearted way that you’ve sharedt with them and with everyone.


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 And when they pray for you, their hearts will go out to you, thanks to the incredibleu grace that God has shown you.


text:
 Paul Defends his Ministry I myself, Paul, am appealing to you, with Christ’s gentleness and patience. I’m the one who’s supposed to be unassuming when I’m with you, but bold towards you when I’m not around.


text:
 And I’m pleading with you: I don’t want to have to be bold when I come. But if I have to, I think I have the confidence to confront certain people-people who think we’re living as ordinary physical people.a


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 Our weapons aren’t physicalc at all-they’re powerful weapons of Godd for tearing down fortresses. They tear down arguments,


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 and every proud constructione that’s raised up in opposition to the knowledge of God. And our weapons capture every thought and make it obey Christ.


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 Look at what’s right in front of you!g If somebody’s confident that they belong to Christ, they should reconsider about themselves. Because we belong to Christ just as much as they do.


text:
 After all, supposeh we have bragged a bit too much about our authority-which the Lord gave us, for building you up, not tearing you down. If that’s true, I’m not going to be embarrassed about it.


text:
 Because they say, “His letters are deep and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his speech is despicable”.


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 Whoever says that should consider this: whatever we’re like when we communicate through letters, we’re going to be the same in action, when we’re there.


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 Now, we’re not trying to put ourselves in the same category with certain people who are recommending themselves to you. And we’re not trying to compare ourselves to them. But when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they don’t get it!j


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 And we’re not going to brag off into infinity:k we’re going to use the yardstick of what God has allotted to us-the fact that we even reached as far as you in our ministry.


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 After all, it’s not as though we haven’t reached you, and we’re overextending ourselves.l Because we were the first to come all the way to you with the good news of Christ.


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 We’re not bragging off into infinity about other people’s work.m But we have hope that, as your faith grows, we’ll enlarge our territory a great deal among you-within our proper bounds.


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 We hope to preach the good news in regions beyond you-not using somebody else’s yardstick and bragging about work they’ve already done.n


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 After all, it’s not people who recommend themselves that are approved: it’s people that the Lord recommends.q


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 Paul and the False Apostles I wish you could put up with me in a little bit of foolishness. Really, please indulge me.


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 After all, I’m jealous over you, with God’s jealousy. I promised you in marriage to one husband! I’m supposed to present you to Christ as an innocent virgin.a


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 And I’m worried that somehow, just like the serpent tricked Eve by his dishonesty, your minds are going to be corrupted from your wholeheartedness and purityb towards Christ.


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 After all, supposec somebody comes and preaches another Jesus, that we haven’t preached before-or you accept a different spirit, that you haven’t received before-or you accept another good news, that you haven’t accepted before. You put up with itd nicely!


text:
 And even if I am an amateur at public speaking, I’m certainly not an amateur when it comes to knowledge. Far from it. We’ve demonstrated that in every possible way.


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 Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you could be lifted up? Was it a sin that I brought you the good news of God for free?


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 And even when I ran short on money while I was with you, I wasn’t a burden to anyone! Because my financial need was taken care of by the Christiansf who came from Macedonia.g I’ve always kept myself from being a burden to you, and I’m going to keep it that way.


text:
 By the truth of Christ that’s in me, I’m not going to be kept from bragging about thish in the regions of Achaia.i


text:
 And I’m also going to continue doing what I’m doing. That way, I’ll be able to deny an opportunity toj those who want to brag that they’re actually just like us.


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 Because these kind of people are false apostles, con artists. They’re disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.


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 So it’s no big thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of what’s right.k In the end, they’ll get what their actions deserve.l


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 I’ll say again: nobody should take me for a fool. But if you do, then at least indulgem me as a fool, and let me brag a little bit.


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 I’m not going to talk as the Lord would in this bragging exercise,n but as though I’m being foolish:


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 Yes, you put up with anybody that enslaves you, preys on you,p takes advantage of you, puffs themselves up, smacks you in the face.


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 I’m ashamed to admit that we’ve been too weak for such things! Well, is anybody daring? (I’m talking like a fool now!) So am I.


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 Are they servants of Christ? (I’m talking like I’m out of my mind, now.) I’m a better one! I’ve worked harder, I’ve been imprisoned more, and I’ve been wounded far more. I’ve been near death lots of times.


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 I was beaten with wooden rods three times by the Romans. I got stoned once. I was shipwrecked three times. I’ve spent a night and a day in the water.


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 I’ve had lots of journeys, with dangers from rivers, dangers from armed robbers, dangers from fellow Jews, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the outback, dangers in the sea, dangers from false Christians.r


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 With sweats and hardship, in lots of sleepless nights, going hungry and thirsty-hungry lots of times, cold, and in rags.t


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 And I was lowered out of a window through the city wall in a basket, and slipped through his fingers.x


text:
 Paul’s Visions and Revelations I have to brag. It’s not good for anything, but I’ll go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.


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 I know a person who was in Christ fourteen years ago. Whether what happened was in his body or out of his body, I don’t know; God knows. That certain person was snatched away to heaven.a


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 Yes,b I know a certain person that was snatched away to Paradise-whether in his body or out of his body, I don’t know; God knows.


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 That way,c if I should decide to brag, I won’t be being foolish, because I’ll be telling the truth. I’m going to restrain myself, so that nobody will go beyond what they see or hear from me,


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 and judge me by the exceptional nature of the revelations.d So, to prevent me from getting too full of myself, a “thorn in the flesh”e was given to me. It was one of Satan’s angels, who gets to slap me-so that I won’t get too full of myself.


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 But he’s said to me, "My grace is enough for you.f Because power is brought to perfection in weakness." So I’m totally happy to brag about my weaknesses. That way, Christ’s power can find a home in me.


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 So I’m content with weaknesses, insults,g hardships, persecutions, and stressful situations. Because when I’m weak, then I’m strong.


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 Paul’s Hurt Feelings at Having to Defend Himself to the Corinthians I’ve been foolish—you’ve forced me into it. After all, you ought to have been the ones defending me.h Because I’m not a bit inferior to those "super-apostles"—even if I am nothing.


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 The miraclesi of an apostle were performed in front of youj with complete consistencyk.-miracles,l wonders, and displays of power.


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 In what way have you gotten a worse deal than the other communities-other than the fact that I wasn’t a burden to you? Forgive me for that injustice!


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 Look, this is the third time I’m getting ready to come to you. And I’m not going to be a burden to you-because I’m not after your money: I’m after you. After all, children don’t have to save up for their parents: parents save up for their children.


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 And I’ll gladly spend-and be spent-for you.m If I love you too much, am I supposed to be loved less?


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 I asked Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Surely Titus didn’t squeeze you for money! Haven’t we conducted ourselves in the same spirit as he has? Haven’t we followed in the same footsteps?


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 Maybe all this time you’ve been thinking that we’re defending ourselves to you.p We’re saying this in front of God, in Christ, dear friends: everything we’re doing is to build you up.q


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 Because I’m afraid that when I come, maybe I’ll find that you’re not the way I want you to be-and I won’t turn out to be the way you want me to be either. Will there be petty fights, jealousy, rages, competitiveness, vicious talk, gossiping, self-importance, infighting?r


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 I don’t want to come to you again and have God humiliate me in front of you. Then I’d have to grieve over lots of people-who sinned before, and didn’t change their heartss from the filthiness and sexual immorality and promiscuityt that they were into.u


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 Final Warnings and Greetings This is the third time I’m coming to you. Everything is to be established from the testimony ofa two or three witnesses.b


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 When I was with you the second time, I warned the people who’ve been sinning all this time. And I’m warning them, and everybody else, while I’m away:c if I come again, I won’t spare people.


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 Since you’re looking for proof that Christ is speaking in me, I’ll give it to you. He’s not weak towards you-he’s powerful among you.


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 After all, though he was hung on a cross in weakness, he lives in the power of God. And though we’re weak in him, yet with you we’re going to live with him in God’s power.


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 Test yourselves to see if you’re in the faith. Evaluate yourselves. Or don’t you realize that Christ is in you-that is, unless you’re unworthy of him?d


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 And we’re praying to Godf that you won’t do anything wrong. And not so that we’ll look goodg.-far from it. We’re praying that you’ll do the right thingh and that we’ll look like the unworthy ones.i


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 Because we’re happy whenever we’re weak but you’re strong. That’s exactly what we’re praying for: your wholeness.j


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 That’s why I’m writing all this while I’m away-so that I won’t have to be ruthless with the authority the Lord has given me. That authority is intended for building people up, not for tearing them down.


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 Finally, brothers and sisters, goodbye. Be well. Encourage one another. Be in agreement and be at 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 unifying presencek of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.


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 PAUL’S LETTER TO THE COMMUNITIES IN GALATIA From Paul, an apostlea.-not sent from people or by human authority, but from Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from among the dead.


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 He gave himself for our sins, so that he could rescue us out of this current evil age.d This wase the will of our God and Father.


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 You’ve Turned Away from the Good News! I’m amazed how quickly you’ve switched loyalties! You’ve turned away from the One who called you by grace,g and gone to a different good news-


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 which isn’t another good news!h Maybe it’s just that there are some people trying to trying to frighten you, and they‘re hoping to overturn the good news of Christ.i


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 But even if we-or an angel from heaven-ever brings you a good news message that’s against the message we brought you,j then let them be cursed!k


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 Just as we’ve said before, I’ll say it again right now: if somebody brings you a good news message that’s against what you’ve received, then let them be cursed!


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 So now who am I trying to get on my side? People, or God? Am I trying to please people? If I still tried to please people, I wouldn’t be Christ’s servant.l


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 Paul ‘s Apostolic Message Came to him by Revelation Brothers and sisters, I want you to know something about the good news I preach: it’s not a human opinion.m


text:
 Because I didn’t get it from human beings, and I wasn’t taught it. No, I got it through of a revelation of Jesus Christ.


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 After all, you’ve heard about my way of life when I was in Judaism-that I viciously persecuted the community of God. I was even trying to destroy it.


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 And I was going further in Judaism than lots of people my age in my country. I was even more passionate than they were about the traditions of my ancestors.


text:
 reveal God’s Son in me-the One who had set me apart from my mother’s womb, and called me through divine grace!n God’s purpose was for me to spread the good news of Christ too the Gentile nations. When that happened, I didn’t go to get human advice right away.p


text:
 And I didn’t go off to Jerusalem to visit the people who were apostles before me. Instead, I went off to Arabia and then went back to Damascusq again.


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 Paul and the Jerusalem Apostles Then I went up to Jerusalem after three years to visitr Cephas,s and I stayed with him for fifteen days.


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 But they were just hearing that “the man who used to persecute us now spreads the good news of the faith he used to try to destroy!”


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 I went up because of a revelation.a And I laid out for them the good news that I preach to the Gentiles. But I did it privately,b with the respected leaders. I didn’t want to find that I was running, or had been running, this race for nothing.c


text:
 There had been pressure through certain false believers that had sneaked in. They slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus-so they could enslave us.


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 But we didn’t give in and follow their demands for even one minute.f We wanted the truth of the good news to stay in your possession.g


text:
 But among those who had some sort of reputation, the people with the most reputation didn’t impose anything on me. (What their official positions wereh doesn’t matter to me-God doesn’t go by human appearances.)


text:
 Far from imposing something on me, they saw that I’ve been entrusted with the good news for the non-Jews-just as Peter has been entrusted with the good news for the Jews.i After all,


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 the one who worked in Peter to bring the good news to the Jewsj also worked in me to bring the good news to the Gentiles.


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 And James and Cephask and John (who have a reputation as pillars) recognized the grace that’s been given to me. They shook hands with Barnabas and me as a sign that we were partners with them.l We agreed that we would go to the Gentiles, and they would go to the Jews.m


text:
 They only asked that we would continue to remember their poor-the very thing I was actively committed to doing.


text:
 Paul Stands up to Cephas (the Apostle Peter) in Antioch Then, when Cephas came to Antioch, I stood up to him face to face and told him he was wrong.n


text:
 Because he’d been eating with Gentiles before certain people came from James. But when they came, he started hesitating. And he was keeping himself separate out of fear of the people from the Jewish group.o


text:
 And the rest of the Jewish believers joined in the act with him-so that even Barnabas got drawnp into their play-acting.


text:
 But I saw that they weren’t acting in line with the truth of the good news. And I said to Cephas, in front of everyone, “You’re a Jew. So if you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how is it that you force the Gentiles to live as Jews?


text:
 But we know that a person is not found innocentr by doing what the Law requiress except through faith in Jesus Christ. And we’ve believed in Christ Jesus so that we’ll be found innocent by our faith in Christ, not by doing what the Law requires. Because No human beingt is going to be found innocent by doing what the Law requires.u


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 But suppose that while we’re trying to be found innocent in Christ, we discover that we’re sinners too.v Does that make Christ a servant of sin?w Absolutely not!x


text:
 After all, suppose I rebuild the same things I’ve torn down. Won’t I make myself a law-breaker by doing that?y


text:
 Because thanks to the Law, I’ve died to the Law-so I can live for God. I’ve been hung on a cross with Christ.


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 And it’s not me that’s living anymore-Christ lives in me. And the life I live in my mortal bodyz now, I live by faith in the one who loved me and gave himself up for me.


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 I’m not disqualifying the grace of God. After all, if a verdict of innocentaa comes through the Law, then Christ died for nothing.


text:
 Right with God-By Faith, or by Keeping All the Law’s Commands? You unthinkinga Galatians, who hypnotized you? Your own eyes have seen Jesus Christ publicly hung on a cross!


text:
 I only want to learn one thing from you: did you receive the Spirit by doing what the Law requires, or by hearing and believing?b


text:
 So-when Godd gives out the Spirit to you, and does displays of power among you-does that come from doing what the Law requires, or from hearing with faith?


text:
 And scripture sees ahead of time that God will find the Gentilesf innocent on the basis of faith. It tells the good news to Abraham ahead of time: All nations are going to be blessed through you.g


text:
 The result is that those who live on the basis of faith are blessed along with Abraham, who believed.


text:
 After all, those who operate on the basis of doing what the Law requires are under a curse. Because scripture says:h. Everyone who doesn’t hold to all the things written in the book of the Law, by doing them,i will be under a curse.j


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 Yes,k it’s clear that that no one is found innocent by God through the Law, because “The person who is innocent will live by faith”.l


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 But the Law isn’t based on faith. No, “The person who does these thingsm will live because of it”.n


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 Christ has paid the price to set us free from the curse of the Law. He became a curse for us. Because the scripture says,o Everyone hung on a stakep is cursed.


text:
 In this wayq the blessing of Abraham could go to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith.


text:
 God’s Promise of Christ for the World is Older Than the Jewish Law Brothers and sisters, I’m going to use a human example.r Even when it’s a human will, when it’s been finalized, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.


text:
 Now, the promises were mades to Abraham and to his “offspring”. It doesn’t say to “the offsprings,” as though it’s to a lot of people. No, it’s as though it’s about one person: “and to your offspring,”t which is Christ.


text:
 My point is this:u There is a will, which has been finalized by God.v The Law, which comes along 430 years later,w doesn’t cancel it out andx invalidate the promise.


text:
 After all, if the inheritance were based on the Law, it wouldn’t be based on the promise anymore. But God has given the gift to Abraham through a promise.


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 So why do we have the Law? Because of people‘s disobedient ways.y It was added until the promised offspring came. It was put in place by angels, using a go-between.z


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 The Purpose of the Law So-is the Law against the promises of God?bb Never! After all, if the Law as given could make people alive, then right living would have come out of it.


text:
 But the scripture locks them all in prison together under sin! That way, the promise can be given to those who believe, on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ.


text:
 Now before faith came, we were locked away under guard together by the Law: we were waiting for the faith that still had to be revealed.


text:
 As a result, the Law became our tutor until Christ came. That way, we could be found innocent on the basis of faith.


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 There’s no more Jew and non-Jew, there’s no slave and free, there isn’t man and woman—you’re all one in Christ Jesus!


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 And if you are Christ’s, then you belong to Abraham’s offspring, and you’re heirs in line with the promise.


text:
 My point is this:a As long as the heir is a child, there’s no difference between them and a slave-even though they own everything.


text:
 In the same way, when we were children, we were kept in slavery by the ruling spirits of the world.b


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 But when the time was exactly right,c God sent God’s own Son. He was born to a woman, and born under the Law.


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 That way he could pay the price to set free the people who were under the Law-so that we could receive adoption as children.


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 And because you’re children, God has sent the Spirit of God’s Son into our hearts. And the Spirit calls out,d “Abba! Father!”


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 So you’re not a slave anymore—you’re a child of God. And if you’re a child, you’re also an heir because of God.


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 Have you Forgotten Where you Came From and What You Received through Christ? Now, it was totally different when you didn’t know God. You were slaves to beings that aren’t really gods.e


text:
 But now you know God-or, more accurately, you’re known by God. So how is it that you’re turning back again to those poor, weak ruling spirits?f How is it that you want to be slaves to them all over again?


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 I’m asking you, please, brothers and sisters: be like me, just as I became like you.h You haven’t done anything wrong to me.


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 Now, you know that it was because ofi a physical disability that I brought you the good news the first time.


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 Even with the trialj that my physical condition was to you, you didn’t despise me or reject me. Just the opposite: You took me in as though I were an angel of God, as though I were Christ Jesus.


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 So where is that sense of blessing now?k After all, I can testify that if you could have, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.


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 They’re anxious to get your acceptance, but not in a sincere way. They actually want to shut you out, so that you’ll be anxious to get their acceptance.l


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 For that matter, it would be good if you sincerely valued my acceptance all the time,m and not just when I’m there with you.


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 I keep wishing that I could be with you, and talk differently about this-because I just don’t know what to do about you.n


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 Hagar and Sarah (Gen. 21:8-21; Isa. 54:1) Illustrate the Law and the Good News Tell me-those of you who want to be under the Law: don’t you listen to the Law?


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 After all, scripture sayso that Abraham had two sons. One was born to the slave woman and one was born to the free woman.


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 However, the one born to the slave woman was born according to the normal physical way of things, and the one born to the free woman was born because of a promise.p


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 These things have a hidden meaning:q they’re the two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, born into slavery. That’s Hagar.


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 And Hagar (Mount Sinai) is in Arabia,r and corresponds to the present-day Jerusalem, because she’s in slavery with her children.


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 After all, scripture says,s Celebrate, though you were infertile and never got pregnant; Let loose a shout of joy, though you never were in labor. Because the woman who’d been deserted will have lots of children- Even more than the woman who kept her husband.t


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 However, just as the one who’d been born according to the normal physical way of thingsu persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now.


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 However, what does the scripture say? Kick out the slave woman and her son! The son of the slave woman will never inherit alongside the son of the free woman!v


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 Living as Free People in Christ Christ has released us into freedom! So stand in that freedom, and don’t get roped into a yoke of slavery again.


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 And I will testify furtherc to every man who is circumcised, that he is duty-bound to keep the whole Law.


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 Those of you who are justifying yourselves through the Law have nothing more to do with Christ.d You’ve fallen from grace.


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 Because in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor lack of circumcision counts for anythingf at all. What counts is faith that expresses itself through love.g


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 I’m believing in you in the Lord-that you won’t change your mind at all.i Whoever it is that’s trying to frighten you, they’re going to face God’s judgment.j


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 And brothers and sisters, if I’m still preaching circumcision,k why am I still getting persecuted? Because then the stumbling block of the cross is erased.


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 As I said,m you’re called to freedom, brothers and sisters. Just don’t use your freedom as a base of operations for your flesh.n Just the opposite: out of love, be servants to each other.


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 After all, the flesh wants the opposite of what the Spirit wants, and the Spirit wants the opposite of what the flesh wants. They’re set against each other, so that you can’ts just do whatever you want.


text:
 Behaviors of the Flesh and Fruits of the Spirit But the behaviors of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, filthiness, promiscuity,t


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 hatred,u getting drunk, orgies, and things like that. I’m telling you ahead of time, just like I did before:v people who do these sorts of things aren’t going to inherit God’s Reign.


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 And those who are Christ’s have put the flesh to death on a cross, together with its cravings and desires.


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 Standing on your Own Two Feet-And Helping Others Brothers and sisters, suppose a person is caught in some kind of offense. You are the spiritual ones: correct the person with a gentle spirit. And watch out for yourself, so that you don’t get tempted too.a


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 So everyone should test their own behavior.b And then they can be pleased with themselves, and not in relation to somebody else.c


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 In other words,h the person that plants in their flesh will harvest destruction from their flesh, but the person that plants in the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit.


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 Let’s carry on doing good, and not let ourselves get discouraged. Because we’ll each bring in a harvest if we don’t give up.


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 Finally, since we have the opportunity,i let’s do good to everyone, especially to the community of faith.j


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 It’s people that want to look good in outward thingsk who are trying to force you to get circumcised. It’s just so they won’t get persecuted because ofl the cross of Christ.


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 After all, not even the people who are circumcised keep the Law themselves. The real reason they want you to get circumcised is so that they can brag about your flesh!m


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 But God help me if I ever brag about anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through him,n the world has been hung on a cross in relation to me, and I’ve been hung on a cross in relation to the world.


text:
 PAUL’Sa LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY IN EPHESUS Greeting From Paul, an apostleb of Jesus Christ by God’s will-to the holy ones who live in Ephesus,c who’re faithful in Christ Jesus.


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 The Spiritual Blessings we Have in Christ May God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, be blessed! Because in Christ, Godd has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven.e


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 After all,f God chose us in Christ before the creationg of the world. We were chosen to be holy and faultlessh in love in front of God.


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 God chose us ahead of time for adoption as children through Jesus Christ, according to God’s own good will.i


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 In him we have our purchase out of captivity through his blood-in other words, the forgiveness of our offenses throughk the wealth of God’s grace.


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 God has let us know the secret of God’s will, in line with the kindness that God intended to show in Christ.l


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 The plan, as all history comes to a finish, is to draw everything together in Christ: things in heaven and things on earth.m


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 It’s in him that we’ve been chosen ahead of time according to the set plan of God, whon works everything out in line with God’s own chosen plan.


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 You’ve believed in him too: you’ve heard and believed the true message-the good news that has saved you.q And you’ve been sealed by the promised Holy Spirit.r


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 The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance-toward the buying back of God’s possession. And God is going to get the praise and glory!s


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 And that’s why I never stop thanking God for you. I’ve heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love for all the holy ones. And I remember you in my prayers.t


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 I keep praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, to really know God.


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 I keep praying that the eyes of your hearts will be filled with light, until you know these things: what hope there is in God’s calling, what wealth of glory there is in the inheritance that God has given youu among the holy ones,


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 It’s the same power and strength that God used in Christ,w when God raised him from among the dead and sat him down at God’s right side in heaven.


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 And that means above every ruler, authority, power and dominating force. Christ is above every title you can name,x not just in this age, but in the coming age too:


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 Those things used to be your way of life-when you followed the god of this world, the ruler of the atmospheric realm.a He’s the spirit that’s working right now in those who are rebellious by nature.b


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 We were all with them once. We lived by the desiresc of our flesh, and we did whatever our flesh and our thoughts wanted. And we were headed for God’s anger by nature just like everyone else.d


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 Because of the great love that God has for us, even though we were dead in our offenses, God brought us to life with Christ. You’ve been rescued by God’s grace.


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 That way, during the coming ages God can show the unbelievablee riches of God’s grace in the kindness shown to us in Christ Jesus.


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 Because you’ve been rescued by grace, through faith. And it doesn’t come from you: it’s God’s gift.


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 After all, we’re God’s creation. We’ve been created in Christ Jesus to do good things-things God has prepared ahead of time so that we can live them out.g


text:
 Christ has Brought you Believing Gentiles into God’s Family So, remember back then? (I’m talking to you who are physically “Gentiles”.h You’re called “the uncircumcision” by those who call themselves “the circumcision"—which is just a human procedure done on flesh.)i


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 Well, at that time, you were separated from Christ. You were shut out from the community of Israel, and you were foreigners to God’s promised covenants.j You had no hope, and you were without God in the world.


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 But now, in Christ Jesus, you’re not far away anymore: you’ve been brought in close by the blood of Christ.k


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 Because he himself is our peace! He’s the one who has made the two into one. And he’s broken down the dividing wall, the hostility, in his own flesh.


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 He has abolished the law of commands and rules, in order to create, from the two, one new human being in himself. He made the peace!


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 And he reconciled the two, in one body, to God through the cross. He had put their hostility to death on the cross!l


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 And he came and “preached peace to those who were far away” (in other words, you), and “peace to those who were near”.m


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 So you aren’t foreigners and resident aliens anymore. No, you’re fellow citizens with the holy ones, and members of God’s family.n


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 You’ve been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and the cornerstoneo is Christ Jesus.


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 Paul’s Ministry of Preaching the Good News to the Gentiles That’s why I, Paul, am a prisoner for Christ Jesus.a It’s for you, the Gentiles.b


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 how the secret of it was revealed to me in a vision.c I’m talking about the same thing as I talked about in the short letter I wrote to you.d


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 It wasn’t revealed like this to previous generations of humanity. But now it’s been revealed to Christ’s holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.e


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 The secret is that the Gentiles are co-heirs with the Jews. They’re one body. They share the promise in Christ Jesus together, through the good news.


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 And I became a servant of this good news. The gift of God’s grace has been given to me for this, and God’s active power has worked through me.f


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 I’m the least of all the holy ones, yet this grace was given to me: to bring the Gentiles the good news of the immeasurableg riches of Christ.


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 I’m bringing God’s secret plan out into the open for everyoneh.-the plan that has been hidden for all the ages in God, the creator of everything.


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 God’s plan is to use the community to reveal all the facets of God’s wisdom to the rulers and authorities in heaven.i This is happening now,


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 So I’m asking you not to get discouraged over the troubles that I’ve faced for you. It’s something you can be proud of.j


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 I’m praying that, out of the riches of his glory, he’ll powerfully strengthen you through his Spirit in your deepest self.m


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 I’m praying that Christ will live in your hearts through faith, and that you’ll be rooted and founded in love.


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 I’m praying that, with all the holy ones, you’ll be fully able to embrace the whole width, length, depth, and height of that love-


text:
 in other words, that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge. That way you’ll be filled up to the whole fullness of God.


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 So-glory to the One who can do far more than anything we can ask or think, through the power at work inside us!


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 Unity in the Body of Christ I’m asking you, then, as a prisoner in the Lord: live worthy of your calling.a


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 and one God, who is everyone’s Father. God is over everyone, works through everyone, and lives in everyone.


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 Now, about this “going up”: how can that be, unless he also went downf.-right to the lowest parts of the earth?


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 The one who went down is the same person who also went up, above all the heavens. That way, he could fill everything.


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 They’re for training the holy ones for the work of serving. They’re for building up the body of Christ,


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 until we’re all trained up: into unity of faith, into understanding of the Son of God, into complete adulthood, and into a maturity that fits with Christ’s full presence.g


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 That way we won’t be babies anymore. We won’t be tossed around and carried back and forth on the breeze with every new teaching. We won’t be taken in by people’s tricks and by crafty deception schemes.h


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 Through him, the whole body is fitted and joined together, with all its connective tissues. Through him, each and every part actively works in its own way to make the body grow and build itself up in love.j


text:
 A Challenge to Live the New Life So this is what I want to say to you very seriously in the Lord: from now on, don’t live mindlessly, like the Gentiles do.k


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 They’re mentally in the dark. They’re far away from the life of God because of the ignorance that’s in them-because of the stubbornness of their hearts.


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 They’ve gotten numb. They’ve thrown themselves into promiscuity,l going overboard into every kind of filthy practice.


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 that you have to put away the old person, with its oldn way of life. That person is going rotten with its deluded cravings.o


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 and put on the new person. The new person is created to be like God in true integrityq and holiness.


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 So get rid of dishonesty, and Each of you tell the truth with your neighbor.r After all, we’re all members of one body.s


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 People who’ve been stealing should quit stealing.u Instead, they should do good hard workv with their own hands. That way, they’ll have something to share with somebody in need.


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 Don’t let anything nastyw come out of your mouths. Instead, say things that are good for building people up, whatever the need is. That way you’ll give grace to whoever hears you.


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 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit, who is God’s seal on you for the day when you’ll be purchased out of captivity.x


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 Get rid ofy all bitterness and rage and anger; get rid of shouting and cursing,z together with all nastiness.


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 Learn to be kind and compassionate to each other; be forgiving to each other, just as God has forgiven youaa in Christ.


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 Live in love, just as Christ loved us, and gave himself to God on our behalf, as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice.b


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 Act as holy ones should act, and don’t let sexual immorality, or any filthiness or greed, even be mentioned in your conversations.c


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 And the same goes for nasty behavior, stupid jokes, and sexual innuendos,d which are inappropriate. Instead, you should be giving thanks.


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 After all, you should know this and know it well: no sexually immoral, or promiscuous,e or greedy person (who’s an idolf worshiper) has any inheritance in the reign of Christ and God.


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 Don’t let anyone fool you with empty words, because these things are the reason God’s anger is coming on people who are disobedient by nature.g


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 And everything that’s visible is light. That’s why it says, Get up, sleepy one, And rise from among the dead! Christ is going to shine on you!l


text:
 Shareq psalms, hymns, and spiritualr songs with each other. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord.


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 Because a husband is the head of his wife, just as Christ is the head of the community:t he’s the savior of the body.


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 However, as the community puts Christ first, so wives should put their husbands first in everything.


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 Then he could stand the community beside him in glory. She wouldn’t have a single spot or wrinkle, or anything like that. She’d be holy and faultless.


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 That’s the way husbands should love their wives-just as much as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself.


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 After all, nobody ever hates his own flesh-no, he cares for it and is protective about it, just like Christ is about the community.


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 Because of this, a man will leave his father and mother behind and be joined to his wife. And the two will be one flesh.v


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 Nonetheless, each and every one of you should also love your wife as you love yourself. And the wife should respect her husband.


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 And parents,d don’t provoke your children’s temper. No, bring them up in the Lord’s training and instruction.


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 Slaves and Masters Slaves, obey your human masters.e Serve with fear and trembling, and with your whole heart, as though you were giving your service to Christ.


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 And not just when somebody’s looking, or to gain somebody’s favor.f No, obey as slaves of Christ, who are doing God’s will.


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 Serve from your heart, with kindness,g as though you’re giving service to the Lord, not to human beings.


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 After all, you know that each person who does something good is going to receive a reward from the Lord-whether they’re a slave or free.


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 And masters, do the same thing towards your slaves. Give up threatening them: rememberh that both your Lord and theirs is in heaven, and there’s no such thing as special status with him.


text:
 Putting On God’s Armor Finally, strengthen yourselves in the Lord, and in the strength of his power.


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 Because for us, the struggle isn’t with human beingsi.-it’s with the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark world.j It’s with the evil spiritual beings in the heavens.k


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 So strap onl the whole set of God’s armor. That way, you’ll be able to resist in this evil time,m to overcome them all, and to stand firm.


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 In every situation, strap onr the shield of faith. With it, you can put out all the burning arrows of the evil one.s


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 Use all kinds of prayers and requests! Be praying in the Spirit in every situation. To do that, everyone be on watch: stay totally attentive and prayerful for all the holy ones.v


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 Be praying for me too. Pray that I’ll be given the right message-that God will open my mouth,w and I’ll boldly proclaimx the secret of the good news.


text:
 Final Greetings Now, I want you all to know how I’m doing and what I’m up to. My dear brother Tychicus,y my faithful helper in the Lord, will tell you everything.z


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 I’m sending him to you for that one purpose, so that you’ll know our situation, and he can encourage your hearts.


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 Peace to the brothers and sisters! And love, with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


text:
 PAUL’S LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY AT PHILIPPI Greeting from Paul and Timothy From Paul and Timothy, servantsa of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,b together with their pastorsc and deacons.d


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 And I’m convinced about one thing: that the One who started such a good work in you is going to fully complete it, right up to the day of Christ Jesus.


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 After all, it’s right for me to feel this way about you all. Because you’ve held me in your hearts.g While I’ve been in chains, and while I’ve been making my defense, and proving the good news,h you’ve all been my partners in grace.


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 And this is my prayer: that your love will keep overflowing more and more, with deep knowledge and complete discernment.i


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 That way you will value the things that are really important, and be open-hearted, with nothing offensive in you,j ready for the day of Christ.


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 You will have produced the harvest of integrityk that comes through Jesus Christ, and results in glory and praise for God.


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 Paul’s News from Prison Now, I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what’s happened to me has actually gone towards the advancement of the good news.


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 It’s to the point where my imprisonment for Christl has become known throughout the palace guard, and to everybody else.


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 And most of our brothers and sisters in the Lord have been convinced by my imprisonmentm to speak God’sn word all the more fearlessly.


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 Keeping the Faith Now, some are also doing it out of envy and petty rivalry, but most are preaching Christ out of goodwill.


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 But the others are spreading the word about Christp out of competitiveness, not sincerely. They think they can make trouble for me while I’m in chains.


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 So what? All I care isq that for whatever reason, whether for an excuse or for real, people are spreading the word about Christ.r And I’m glad about that. And I’m going to keep on being glad.


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 Because I know that this is going to turn out for my salvation, thanks tos your prayers and the support of the Spirit of Christ Jesus.


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 That’s what I’m yearning and hoping for: that I won’t be ashamed in any way, but in total openness, now as always, Christ will be glorifiedt in my body-whether through life or through death.


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 But suppose I end up living on in the flesh. To me that just means fruitful work. Sov I don’t know what to choose.


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 I’m torn between the two: I have the desire to leave and be with Christ, because that’s much better.


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 And I’m sure of this: I am going to stay alive, and I’m going to spend time with you all, for your advancement and joy in the faith.


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 That way, you’ll be able to brag all the more about Christ Jesus with me, thanks to my second visit to you.w


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 Just live in a way that’s worthy of the good news of Christ. That way, whether I come and see you, or whether I hear the news about you while I’m away, you’rex standing in one spirit, in one soul, striving together for the faith of the good news.


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 And you’re not frightened in any way by those who stand against you. That’s a sign to them of their destruction and your salvation, which comes from God.


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 You’re facing the same struggle that you’ve seen me face, and now you’re hearing that I’m facing it.y


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 Imitating Christ’s Humility So if you’ve experienced some encouragement in Christ, some comfort from love, some community in the Spirit, some compassion and mercy-


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 Make my joy complete by having the same attitude, holding to the same love, being together in spirit, with one common attitude.


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 Don’t do anything out of competitiveness and petty status-seeking, but humbly value one another more than yourselves.


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 Although he was in the form of God, He didn’t regard equality with God as something to run off with.


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 Just the opposite: he poured himself out.b He took the form of a servant, and became the same as a human being.c And being foundd in the shape of a human being,


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 So then, my dear friends! Just as you’ve always listened to meh.-not just like you did wheni I was with you, but now much more, while I’m away-let each of you be working, with fear and trembling, to achieve your own salvation.


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 Because God is the one who is in you, enabling you both to desire, and to achieve, what pleases God.j


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 that way you’ll be faultless and innocent, blameless children of God in the middle of a twisted and perverse culture.k You shine in front of them like stars in the world,l


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 as you hold onto the Message of Life.m You’re going to make me proud on the day of Christ! Because I won’t have run my race and done such hard work for nothing.n


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 Preparations ahead of his Hoped for Release from Prison However, even if I get poured out on the sacrifice and offering of your faith, I am celebrating, and I’m celebrating with you all.


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 I’m hoping in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon: I’ll feel better when I know how things are going with you.


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 You know, I don’t have anybody else who feels like I do, and who’ll really care about your concerns.


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 But you know how tried and true Timothy is. You know he‘s been a servant of the good news alongside me-how we’ve been like father and son.


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 I also think I’d better send you our brother Epaphroditus,q my co-worker and fellow soldier. He’s been your representative,r and a servant to me in my time of need.


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 I’m sending him because he’s been missing you all, and he’s been very upset because you’ve heard that he was ill.


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 And actually he was ill-he nearly died.s But God was merciful to him-and not only him, but to me too. I was spared so much grief!t


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 So I’m sending him to you that much more urgently-so you’ll get to celebrate seeing him again, and I’ll be relieved too.u


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 because he nearly died doingw the work of Christ. He risked his life to fill out the rest of your service to me.x


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 Beware of People who Claim That you Have to be Circumcised Well,a my brothers and sisters, be happyb in the Lord. It’s no trouble for me to repeat some things,c and it’s a safeguard for you.


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 Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evildoers, and watch out for those who practice mutilation.d


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 After all, we’re the circumcision.e We’re the ones worshiping with the Spirit of God.f And we’re proud of Christ Jesus, rather than putting confidence in our flesh-


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 even though I have a reason for confidence in my flesh.g If somebody else thinks they have a reason to be confident in flesh, I have more reason:


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 *	Circumcised on the eighth day *	From the people of Israel *	From the tribe of Benjamin *	A Hebrew born of Hebrew parents *	In relation to the Law, a Pharisee


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 *	In relation to zeal, a persecutor of the Christian community *	In relation to the innocence that you get from the Law,h faultless


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 Giving Up Everything for Christ But because of Christ, I regard everything that’s to my credit as a loss.i


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 Absolutely:j I regard everything as a loss, because of the much greater value of knowing Christ my Lord. Because of him I’ve experienced the loss of everything. And I regard it all as garbage,k so that I can gain Christ,


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 and be found in him. I won’t be getting my innocencel from the Law, but through faith in Christ. It’s the innocencem that comes from God on the basis of faith.


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 It’s about knowing Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and knowing what it is to share in his sufferings. It’s about being molded into the pattern of his death,


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 It’s not that I’ve already gotten there, or already been made perfect. But I’m pursuing it, trying to take hold of it,o because I’ve been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.p


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 Brothers and sisters, I don’t regard myself as having gotten there.q But I do know one thing: I’m forgetting what’s behind me, and reaching out for what’s in front of me.


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 So, those of us who are mature, let’s agree on this. And if you think differently about something, God will reveal that to you too.


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 Brothers and sisters, join together in following my example. And also look to those who live according to the model you have in us.


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 After all, I’ve told you many times-and I’m crying as I’m telling you now-there are a lot of people who go around as enemies of the cross of Christ.


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 Their destination is destruction, their god is their own stomach, and what they’re the most proud of is what shames them.s Their thinking is all about the earthly stuff.


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 But our citizenship is in heaven. And it’s from there that we’re expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.


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 He’s going to transform these humble bodies of ours into the same form as his glorious body. He’ll do it throught the active power that enables him to make literally everythingu obey him.


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 Final Greetings and Challenges Well,a my dear brothers and sisters, that I miss so much—you’re my joy and my crown.b Keep standing firm in the Lord, dear friends!


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 Yes, and I also ask you, my true partner,e to work with them. They’ve worked hard with me in spreading the good news, along with Clement and all my other co-workers. All their names are in the Book of Life.f


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 Don’t worry about anything.j Instead, in all your prayers and requests, be thanking God as you tell God your requests.k


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 And God’s peace, that’s beyond all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


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 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever’s true, whatever’s honorable, whatever’s just, whatever’s pure, whatever’s pleasant, whatever’s commendable, or if there’s some virtue, or something that deserves praise, think about those things.


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 And keep putting into practice the things that you’ve learned, received, heard, and seen in me. And the God of peace will be with you.


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 Thanks for your Gift of Financial Support! I’m really pleased in the Lord that you’ve thought of me again!l Of course, you’d already been thinking of me, but you didn’t have an opportunity to show it.


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 It’s not that I’m talking out of need. Because I’ve learned to be self-sufficient in my circumstances.


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 I know how to be destitute, and I know how to have more than enough. Everywhere, and in all circumstances, I’ve learned the secret of being well fed and going hungry, of having more than enough and going without.


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 You also know, Philippians, that back during the first preaching of the good news, when I came over from Macedonia,m none of the Christian communities shared with me in this business of giving and receiving-except for you.


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 Because even when I was in Thessalonica,n there was a first and a second time when you sent something to me for my needs.


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 It’s not that I am after the gift-far from it. I’m after the additional credito that goes to your account.


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 Because you’ve paid me back everything, and more!p Now that I’ve received the gifts you sent with Epaphroditus,q I’m totally provided for. Your gift is a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice that’s pleasing to God.


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 The Christian brothers and sisters say hello to you, especially those who work in Caesar’s residence.r


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 PAUL’S LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY AT COLOSSAE Greeting From Paul, an apostlea of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and from our brother Timothy.


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 To the holy and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae.b Grace and peace to you from God our Father!


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 Prayer of Thanksgiving We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whenever we pray for you.


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 Because there’s a hopec that’s stored away for you in heaven. You heard about it before, in the true message of the good news,


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 which is still with you. It’s been bearing fruit and growing among you-just like it is in the whole world. It’s been bearing fruit and growing ever since the day you heard, and truly recognized, the grace of God.


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 Of course, you learned it from Epaphras,d our dear fellow servant.e He’s a faithful servant of Christ on yourf behalf,


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 That’s why we also haven’t stopped praying for you, from the first day we heard about you. We’ve been asking that you’ll be full of understanding about God’s will-with total wisdom and spiritual insight.


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 That way, you’ll live in a way that’s worthy of the Lord. You’ll please him completely, doing all kinds of good things.g You’ll be bearing fruit and growing in your understanding of God.


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 You’ll be strengthened with all kinds of strength, in line with the power of his glory. And so you’ll be equipped for total endurance and patience.


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 You’ll be thanking the Fatherh in the midst of iti for equipping youj to have a part in this calling-the calling of the holy ones who live in the light.


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 The Father has saved us from the realmk of darkness, and has moved us over into the kingdom of his dear Son.


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 In heaven and on earth, What’s seen, and what’s unseen, Whether thrones, or realms, Or rulers, or authorities. Everything’s been created through him and for him, And he’s before them all,


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 He’s the beginning, The firstborn from among the dead, So that he himself will be first among all. Because it was God’s will for all the fullness of the divine to dwell in Jesus Christ,


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 God had made peace with all beings through the blood of Jesus shed on the crossl.- Whether earthly beings or heavenly beings.m. Reconciliation to God through Christ And once you used to be estranged from God, enemies in your attitude, living in your evil ways.


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 But now you’ve been reconciledn by Christ’s physical body, through his death. Christ’s goal is to present you in front of God as people who are holy, and free from all blame and accusation.


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 But that depends on you staying founded and grounded in your faith. You have to refuse to be budgedo from the hope you have in the good news that you’ve heard. It’s the good news that’s been preached in all creation under heaven-and I, Paul, became its servant.


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 Paul’s Current Sufferings and his Calling as an Apostle Now I’m celebratingp in my sufferings on your behalf. Becauseq in my flesh, I’m filling in what’s unfinished in Christ’s sufferingsr on behalf of his body-in other words, the Christian community.s


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 I became a servant of the community in line with the divine appointment that was given to me: I was to bring God’s full message to you.t


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 The secret that’s been kept hidden from ages and generations past has now been revealed to God’s holy ones.


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 God wanted to use the holy ones to tell the Gentiles about the glorious richness of this secret.u And this is the secret: Christ in you Gentiles-the glorious hope!v


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 It’s him that we proclaim to everyone. We counsel every person and teach every person with all our wisdom. That way we can present every person complete in Christ.


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 Now, I want you to know what a struggle I’m having on your behalf-and on behalf of the people in Laodicea,a and everybody that hasn’t met me in person.b


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 I want their hearts to be encouraged, drawn togetherc in love. And I want them to be drawn together into full and total confidenced in their understanding-into a deep understanding of the secret of God: Christ.e


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 Because even if I’m not there in person,f I’m still with you in the Spirit. I’m happy to see your discipline and the firmness of your faith in Christ.


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 Be rooted in him and built on him. And be firmly committed to the teaching that you’ve received. Be full of thankfulness.g


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 Make sure nobody kidnaps you using philosophy and empty lies. Their arguments will be in line with human tradition, in line with the ruling spiritsh of this world, not in line with Christ.


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 And you’ve been circumcisedk in him-with a circumcision that’s not of human makingl.-by the removal of your fleshly body. You’ve been circumcised with Christ’s kind of circumcision.


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 You were buried with him in your baptism, and in baptism you rose with him, through your faith in the active power of God, who raised him from among the dead.


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 When you were all dead in your offenses, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God brought youm to life together with Christ. God has forgiven us all our offenses.


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 God has cancelledn the statement of unpaid debt that was against us and hostile to us. And God has publicly taken it away and nailed it to the cross.


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 In that way, God has publicly disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities, and has paraded them as defeated enemieso through Christ.p


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 Don’t Get Drawn into Legalism So don’t let anybody judge you about what you eat and drink-or about a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath.


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 Don’t let anybody tryq to disqualify you-by supposedly being humble and worshiping the angels, giving detailed accounts of their visions.r They’re puffed up for no reason by their own human mind,s


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 and they’re not staying connected to the Head.t From him the whole body grows with God’s own growth, supporting itself and drawing itself together through all its ligaments and connections.


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 Haven’t you died with Christ, and gotten free from the ruling spirits of the world?u How is it that you’re letting yourselves be put under obligation, like people living in the world?


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 These are things that get used up and disappear! These people are talking according to human rules and teachings.


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 Such things appear to be wise to those who want to be religious and humble and harsh to their bodies,w but they’re of no particular value against overindulgencex of the flesh.


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 Done with Old Ways, Alive with Christ So, if you’ve been raised with Christ, search out the things above-where Christ is, seated at the right sidea of God.


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 When Christ appears, yourb lives are going to appear too. Then you’ll be revealed with him in glory.c


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 So kill off the earthly parts of you: sexual immorality, filthiness, lust, evil obsessions, and the greediness that’s a form of idolatry.


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 But now get rid of them all: anger, rage, nastiness, blasphemy, and insults. Keep them out of your mouth.


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 and put on the new person-the one that’s being totally renewed in knowledge, in line with the image of its Creator.


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 In that renewal process,e there’s no Greek and Jew, circumcisionf and lack of circumcision, Barbarian, Scythian,g slave, or free. Christ is all of them, and Christ is in all of them!


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 Positive Habits and Attitudes to Strive For So, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion and kindness. Put on humility, gentleness and patience.


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 Bear with one another, and be gracious to one another when you have a complaint against somebody. Just as the Lordh has forgiven you, you do the same.


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 And let the peace of Christ be the referee in your hearts. That peace is what you’re called to, asi one body.


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 And be thankful! Let the message of Christj live richly in you. Teach and counsel one another with all kinds of wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in your hearts to God.


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 And whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, let it be in the name of Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


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 Slaves, always obey your human masters. Don’t just serve for the sake of appearances, for human approval. Just the opposite: do it wholeheartedly, out of reverence for the Lord.m


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 Whatever you do, put your whole self into itn.-as though you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.


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 Do it because you know you’re going to get your inheritance as your rewardo from the Lord. Serve the Lord Christ.


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 Because the person who does wrong is going to be paid back for what they’ve done wrong, no matter who they are.p


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 Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly. Because you know that you also have a master-in heaven.


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 And pray for us at the same time. Pray that God will open a door for us to speak the message, the secret of Christ-which is why I’m in prison.b


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 Your conversations should be always be courteous and stimulating. Know the best way to answer each person.d


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 News from Prison, and Final Greetings Tychicus,e my dear brother and faithful servant, my fellow slave in the Lord, will let you know all about my circumstances.


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 I’ve sent him to you for that exact reason: so that you’ll know what’s going on with us, and he can encourage your hearts.


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 I’m sending him with Onesimus,f my dear and faithful brother, who belongs to your community. They’ll tell you about everything going on here.


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 Aristarchus,g my cellmate, says hello to you. So does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. (You’ve received instructions about him: if he comes to you, welcome him.)


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 Jesus, who’s known as Justus, also says hello. These three have been my only Jewish co-workers for the Reign of God. They’ve been a comfort to me.


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 Epaphras,h who belongs to your community, says hello. This servanti of Christ Jesus is always exerting himself in prayers for you. He keeps praying that you’ll stand as people who are mature and totally convinced of God’s will in everything.


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 And I’ll testify this about him: he suffers a lotj for you, and the people at Laodicea,k and Hierapolis.l


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 Say hello to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nymphan and the community that meets in her house.o


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 And when this letter gets read by your community, make sure it gets read by the Laodiceanp community too-and you should read theirs.


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 And tell Archippus,q “Take care of the ministryr that you’ve received in the Lord-make sure that you finish it”.


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 PAUL’S FIRST LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY IN THESSALONICAa. Greeting From Paul, Silvanus,b and Timothy, to the community of the Thessalonians,c who are in God our Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you!


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 Praise for the Thessalonians’ Faith and Example We give thanks to God for you all the time, as we mention you in our prayers.


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 In front of our God and Father, we’re constantly remembering your faithful behavior, your loving hard work, and your hopeful endurance.d


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 After all, the good news we brought you didn’t just come to you in words-far from it. It also came with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with great forcefulness.f Because you know what we were like for your sake, when we were with you.g


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 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord. You were welcoming the message despite a lot of outside pressure,h with the joy of the Holy Spirit.


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 In fact,k the message about the Lordl didn’t just ring out from you to Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has gone out everywhere, to the point that we don’t need to say anything.


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 Because people tell the story about us-about what a warm welcome we had from you. They tell how you turned from idols to God-to serve the living and true God.


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 And you’re waiting for God’s Son to come from heaven: Jesus, the One that God raised from among the dead. He’s the One who saves us from the wrath of God that’s coming.


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 Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica Now you know, brothers and sisters, that the welcome we had from you wasn’t for nothing. Just the opposite.


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 As you know, before we came to you, we had suffered and had been humiliated in Philippi.a Yet thanks to our God,b we were totally open in telling you God’s good news, in the midst of lots of opposition.


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 No-we tell the good news to the extent that we’ve been proven faithful by God to do so. It’s not as though we’re trying to please human beings-not at all. We’re trying to please God, who’s the One who tests our hearts.


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 And as you know, we never used flattering words-nor did we misrepresent greedy motives.c God is our witness.


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 We could have imposed ourselves, as apostlese of Christ. But we didn’t. We were gentlef with you,g like a nursing mother that gently cares for her children.


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 We felt so drawn to you!h We were glad to give you not just the good news, but our own lives! That’s how dear you were to us.


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 After all, brothers and sisters, remember our sweati and hard work. We worked night and day, so that we wouldn’t be a burden to any of you, as we preached God’s good news to you.


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 You-and God-are witnesses to the holiness and integrity and faultlessness of our conductj towards you believers.


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 encouraging you and comforting you like a father treats his own children. And we implored you to conduct yourselves in a way worthy of God, who is callingk you to God’s own sovereign rule and glory.


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 And that’s also why we constantly thank God. Because you accepted the message of God that you heard from us. You welcomed it-not just as a human message,l but as exactly what it really is: God’s word. And it’s producing resultsm in those of you who believe.


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 Because brothers and sisters, you’ve followed in the footsteps ofn God’s communities in Christ that are in Judea.o Because you’ve also experienced exactly the same sufferings from your own fellow nationals as they have from the Judeans-


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 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and severely persecuted us.p They’re not pleasing to God, and they’re at odds with all humanity!


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 They’ve been trying to keep us from talking to the Gentiles so that they’ll be saved-so their sins are right up to the rim all the time. And God’s wrath has come on them completely.q


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 Paul Wishes he Could Visit them Again Well, brothers and sisters, we’re cut off from your for a little while-in terms of physical presence,s but not in terms of our heart. We’ve been incredibly anxious to see your faces again-we’ve been feeling very urgent about it.t


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 We’ve really wanted to visit you. (I, Paul, wanted to come two different times-but Satan blocked us.)


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 After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crownu to be proud of? Aren’t you yourselvesv our crown, in front of our Lord Jesus, when he comes?


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 So, when we couldn’t stand it anymore, we thought it was best that we stay behind in Athens by ourselves.


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 And we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s helpera in the good news of Christ. He came to strengthen you, and to encourage you inb your faith.


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 That way, none of you would be upset by the persecution you were experiencing.c After all, you yourselves know that we’re destined for this.


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 Because even when we were with you, we were telling you ahead of time that we’re going to be persecuted. Which, as you know, is exactly what happened.


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 And that’s why, when I couldn’t stand it any longer, I sent Timothy to find out aboutd your faith. I was worried thate the tempter had tempted you, and our hard work would turn out to be for nothing.


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 But Timothy has just now come back to us from you. And he’s told us the good news of your faith and your love. And he tells us that you always have good memories of us-that you really want to see us, just as much as we want to see you.


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 So thanks to your faith, brothers and sisters, we’ve been encouraged about you, in the midst of all our hardships and persecutions.


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 After all, how can we thank God enough to pay back all the joy that we have in front of our God because of you?


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 Night and day, we’re praying as hard as we possibly can, that we’ll be able to see your face-and equip you in whatever ways your faith needs it.f


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 And may the Lord increase your love and make it overflowg for one another and for everyone-just as much as we love you.


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 And may that love serve to strengthen your hearts. May they be faultlessly holy in front of our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus, with all his holy ones. Amen!h


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 Living in a Way That Pleases God Finally, then, brothers and sisters, we want to ask you, and call on you in the Lord Jesus, to do something. As you know, you’ve accepted teaching from us about how you should livea in order to please God. And you’re livingb just that way. We want you to increase what you’re doing even more.


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 Because it’s God’s will for you to become holy-that you should keep away from sexual immorality, and


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 Don’t break boundaries and cheat with somebody else’s spouse.d Because the Lord is the judge who is going to punish all these sorts of offenses-just as we’ve warned you, and warned you in all seriousness.e


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 So the person that defies that command isn’t defying a human being-they’re defying God, who gives you the Spirit of God.f


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 But as for loving your fellow Christians,g you don’t have any need for me to write to you. Because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.


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 And you’re doing exactly that, even for all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. We just call on you, brothers and sisters, to increase what you’re doing even more.


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 And consider it an honor to live in quiet generosity, and to take care of your own affairs. And work with your own hands, just as we instructed you.


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 That way, you’ll conduct yourselves decently in front of outsiders, and you won’t need anything from anyone.h


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 The Coming of the Lord Jesus Now brothers and sisters, we don’t want you to be uninformed about those who’ve passed away.i We don’t want you to grieve, like everybody else who doesn’t have hope.


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 Because if we believe that Jesus died and rose, then God, through Jesus, in the same way, will also bring with Jesus those who’ve passed away.j


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 And we’re telling you this by the Lord’s own teaching:k we who are left alive at the Lord’s coming will not precede those who’ve passed away.l


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 Because In the blink of an eye, With the call of an archangel, With the trumpet of God, The Lord himself is going to come down from heaven, And the dead in Christ are going to rise first.


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 Then we, who’ve been left alive, Are going to be snatched away with them into the clouds, To meet the Lord in the air. And so from then on we’ll always be with the Lord.


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 Because you already know very wella that the Day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night.b


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 When they’re saying, “Peace and security,” suddenly destruction is going to come for them. It’ll be like a pregnant woman in laborc.-and they’re not going to getd out of it!


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 But brothers and sisters, you’re not in the dark. So that day isn’t going to come up on youe like a thief.


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 Because you’re all people who belong to the light, and to the day.f We’re not of the night, or of the darkness.


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 But we people of the day should be sober. We should wear the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.g


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 Because God hasn’t destined us for anger-just the opposite. We’re destined to be saved by our Lord Jesus Christ,h


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 who died on our behalf. So it’s the same whether we live or whether we pass away:i we’re going to live with him.


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 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge the people who work hard for you, care for you in the Lord, and give you wise counsel.


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 And we call on you, brothers and sisters, to warn people who are undisciplined. Comfort people who are discouraged. Stay loyal to people who are weak. Be patient with everyone.


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 Make sure that nobody pays back nastiness with nastiness.j Just the opposite: always seek out the good for one another, and for everybody.


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 And may the God of peace personally make you holy, through and through. And may your whole spirit, soul and body be protected, so that you’ll be free from blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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 I put you under binding obligation in the name of the Lord: have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.


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 PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY IN THESSALONICAa. Greeting From Paul, Silvanus,b and Timothy, to the community of the Thessalonians,c who are in God our Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.


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 A Prayer of Thanks and a Promise of Rescue from Persecution We owe thanks to God for you all the time, brothers and sisters-which is exactly appropriate. Because your faith is really growing! And the love that all of you have for each other is increasing!


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 It’s to the point thatd we’re bragging about you ourselves, in all the communities of God. We tell them about your endurance and faith, amidst all the persecutions and distresse that you’re going through.


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 Your faithful endurance is proof of God’s just judgment, and it’s making you truly worthy of God’s Reign. That’s what you’re suffering for.


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 and to give relief to you and to us, the ones who are being distressed. Our relief is going to come at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his mighty angels.g


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 In flaming fire, he’s going to deal out retribution to those who don’t know God,h who don’t respond toi the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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 They’re the ones who’re going to experience the sentence of eternal destruction when he comes. They’ll flee “from the presence of the Lord and from his powerful glory,”j


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 when he comes to be glorified with his holy ones. And he’ll be looked on with wonder by all the believers on that day-because in your case, our testimony was believed.


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 And that’s what we’re praying for all the time about you: that God will make you worthy of the calling that we all have. And that God will fill all your desire for goodness, and your faithful activity, with power.


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 That way, the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you-and you’ll be glorified in him-by the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.k


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 The Rebellion and the “Lawless One” Have to Come First Now, let’s talk about our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming,a and about our gathering to meet him.b We ask you, brothers and sisters,


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 not to suddenly lose your headc or panic over anything you hear. It may be something said through the Spirit, or a teaching, or a letter that‘s supposedly from us, that says something like “The Day of the Lord has arrived”.


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 Don’t let anybody trick you in any way. Because the rebellion has to come first, and the Lawless Oned is going to be revealed. He’s the one who’s destined for destruction.e


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 He is against, and he puts himself above, everything that’s called “God”f or is worshiped. He finally sits in God’s temple, publicly presenting himself as being God.g


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 Because the secret of lawlessness is already at work. It’s just that someone’s holding him back-until he gets out of the way.h


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 And then the Lawless One is going to be revealed. He’s the one that the Lord Jesus “is going to wipe out with the breath from his lips”.i Jesus is going to do awayj with him by his appearance when he comes.


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 This guy’s coming is in line with the operation of Satan. It’ll be with all kinds of power, and false miraclesk and wonders.


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 And there’ll be all kinds of dishonest trickery. It’ll be aimed at those who are ruined,l because they haven’t accepted the love of the truth that would’ve resulted in their salvation.m


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 Stand Firm! But we have to thank God all the time for you, brothers and sisters. You’re dear to the Lord!n Because God chose you for salvation as a first offering of the harvest-through the Spirit’s work of making you holy,o and through your belief in the truth.


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 This is what God has called you to, through the good news that we preach.p You’re called to have the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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 So now, brothers and sisters, stand firm. And hold onto the traditions that you’ve been taught by us-whether by word of mouth or by letter.


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 And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, encourage and strengthen your hearts in every kind of good action and speech. Because God loves us, and has given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace.


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 Request for Prayer Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray that the message about the Lorda will make rapid progress and be honored,b just like it was with you.


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 And we’re convinced about you in the Lord, that you’re doing, and are going to do, the things that we’re instructing you to do.


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 People Have a Responsibility to Work Now, we have an instruction for you, brothers and sisters, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: keep away from every brother or sister that lives in an undisciplined way, and not in line with the tradition that theyd received from us.


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 And we didn’t eat anybody’s food for free. Just the opposite-we worked with sweatf and hard labor night and day, so we wouldn’t be a burden to any of you.


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 It’s not that we don’t have that authority. Far from it-it was to offer ourselves as an example for you to follow.g


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 Because when we were with you, we gave this instruction: if somebody doesn’t want to work, they shouldn’t eat either.


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 Because we’re hearing that some of you are living in an undisciplined way. They’re not doing any work, and minding other people’s business instead.


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 Well, in the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, we’re instructing and urging people like that to work quietly and eat their own food.h


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 But if somebody doesn’t listen to our instructions in this letter, take note of that person. Don’t associate with them, so they’ll be ashamed.


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 This hello is in my own handwriting-Paul. It’s the sign of authenticity in every letter I write. This is how I write.


text:
 PAUL’Sa FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY Greeting From Paul, an apostleb of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior, and by the command of Christ Jesus, our hope.


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 To Timothy, my true child in the faith. Grace, peace, and mercy to you, from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord.


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 Warning against False Teachers Remember how I asked you to stay on in Ephesusc when I was going to Macedonia?d You were to tell certain people not to teach other doctrines,


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 and to stop paying attention to myths and endless genealogies of semi-divine beings.e Those things put forward theories-rather than God’s plan, which is about faith.


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 Some people have gotten way off in relation to these things, and have turned their attention to nonsense.


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 They want to be teachers of the Lawg.-without understanding the things they’re saying or the things they’re talking about so confidently.


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 that is, if they know that the law is not set up for the just person. It’s for those who are lawless and rebellious; it’s for the ungodly people and the sinners. It’s for the irreligious and the blasphemous; it’s for people who kill their fathers and mothers; it’s for murderers.


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 It’s for people who are sexually immoral, for pederasts, and slave traders;h it’s for liars and people who break their word.i And it’s for anything else that’s


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 contrary to sound teaching and against the good news I’ve been entrusted with-the good news of the glory of God, who deserves to be blessed.j


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 Paul’s Gratitude for God’s Mercy I’m thankful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthenedk me-because he considered me trustworthy to appoint for his service.


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 Before, I’d been a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man. But I was given mercy, because without realizing it, I acted in unbelief.


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 But our Lord’s grace has been more than plenty for me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.


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 This statement is trustworthy, and deserves complete acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I’m the worst.l


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 But I’ve been shown mercy for that very reason: so that Christ Jesus could demonstrate all his patience with me, the worstm one. I’d serve as an example of those who were going to believe in him and receive eternal life.n


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 And may the Ruler of all eternity, the incorruptible, invisible, one and only God, receive honor and glory forever and ever. Amen!o


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 I’m entrusting this instruction to you, Timothy my son. It’s in line with the prophecies that have already been made about you, so you could use them as a soldier in the good battle,


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 with faith and a good conscience.p Some people have ignored their consciences, and have experienced a shipwreck in their faith.


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 Hymenaeusq and Alexander belong to that group. I’ve turned them over to Satan, to be taught not to blaspheme.


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 Christians Should Pray for All People So first of all, I want to ask that intercessions, prayers, requests, and thanks should be made for all people.


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 They should be made for rulers and for all people in high positions, so that we can lead a quiet and peaceful life, in complete reverence for God and dignity.


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 Because there’s one God , And there’s one mediator between God and humanity: The human being Christ Jesus.


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 He gave himself as the price that buys everyone out of captivity.c. This is his testimony, At the right moment in history.


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 I’ve been appointed as a preacher and apostled of this testimony. I’m telling the truth; I’m not lying. I’ve been appointed as a teacher of faith and truth to the Gentiles.e


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 And I want the women to do the same. They should dress decently, with modesty and good sense. They shouldn’t wearf fancy braided hairg or gold or pearls, or expensive clothes.


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 Instead, let it be what’s appropriate for women who are dedicated to serving God through their good endeavors.h


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 But I don’t allow a woman to teach the faith or to be in authority over a man.j She should be quiet.


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 But womankindm will be saved by bearing children, if they liven in faith, love and holiness, along with good sense.


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 Pastors and Deacons Here’s a trustworthy statement: if somebody aspires to be a pastor,a they’re setting their heart on a worthy endeavor.


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 So-a pastor has to have an impeccable reputation.b They have to be faithful to one spouse.c They have to be sober,d self-controlled, decent, hospitable, and good at teaching.


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 They should not be a drinker or violent. Just the opposite: they should be tolerant and peaceable, and free from the love of money.


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 They should manage their own household well. They should keep their children obedient, with complete dignity.e


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 After all,f if somebody can’t manage their own household, how are they going to care for the community of God?


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 They should not be a new convert, so that they won’t get puffed up and fall into condemnation by the devil.


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 And they have to have a good reputation with outsiders, so that they won’t be subjected tog ridicule and fall into the devil’s trap.


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 Deaconsh should be equallyi honorable-not dishonest, addicted to drinking a lot,j or greedy for money.


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 And deacons should also be tested before being given responsibility. Then let them serve if there’s nothing against them.k


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 Women deaconsl should be equallym honorable. They shouldn’t spread vicious rumors;n they should be sober,o trustworthy in every way.


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 Deacons should be faithful to one spouse.p They should manage their children and their own households well.


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 People who serve well as deacons are getting themselves a good foundation.q And they’re getting a lot of self-confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.


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 But I’m writing all this to you so that if I’m delayed,s you’ll know how people should behave in God’s household. This is the community of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.


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 And it’s undeniable that the secret of our religion is a great one:t. He appeared in a human body,u. Was vindicatedv by the Spirit,w. Was seen by angels, Was proclaimed tox the nations, Was believed in here in the world, Was taken up to heaven in glory.


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 False Teachers Now, the Spirit explicitly says that, in later times, some people are going to turn away from the faith. They’ll pay attention to deceptive spirits and demonic teachings.a


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 They’ll forbid people to get married. They’ll tell people to avoid certain foods-foods that God created to be received with thanks. They’re not forbidden to those who believe and know the truth.d


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 Because everything created by God is good. And nothing’s to be rejected that’s received with thanks-


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 Be a Good Servant of Christ Jesus As you teach the brothers and sisters all this, you’ll be being a good servant of Christ Jesus. You’ll show that you’re competent in matters of faith and of the good teaching that you’ve followed.


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 And say no to disgusting religious myths that are old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself in reverence for God.


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 Because training your body is useful to a small extent, but reverence for God is valuable for everything. It holds promise for this lifee and for the life that’s to come.


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 “This is why we workf and sweat: because we’ve put our hope in the Living God. God is the Savior of all people-especially those who believe.”


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 No one should look down on you because you’re young.g Far from it: be an example to the believers-in your speech, your behavior, your love, your faith, and your purity.h


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 Until I come, be attentive to the reading of the scriptures, to encouraging people, and to teaching.


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 Don’t ignore the spiritual gift that’s in you-which was given to you through prophecy, with the group of elders laying hands on you.i


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 Take care of yourself and of your teaching. Keep on with it. Because in doing that, you’ll save both yourself and your hearers.


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 Advice to Timothy as a Spiritual Community Leader Don’t harshly criticize an elder. Instead, appeal to him as you would to your father. Treat younger men as brothers,


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 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, theya should learn to practice their religion first at home-let them give something back to those who were born before them, because that’s acceptable tob God.


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 But the true widow has found herself alone,c and has put her hope in God. And she’s steadfast in her requests and prayers, night and day.


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 But if somebody doesn’t take care of their own-especially those in their household-they’ve denied the faith, and they’re worse than an unbeliever.


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 She should be recommended by the good things she’s done:e for example, *	if she’s brought up children *	if she’s shown hospitality *	if she’s washed the feet of the holy ones *	if she’s helped people in trouble *	if she’s dedicated herself to all kinds of charitable work.f


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 But refuse the younger widows. Because sometimesg they get drawn away from Christ by their physical desires, and they want to get married.


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 They also get in the habit of beingi lazy. They go around people’s houses not only being lazy, but also gossipy and nosy, talking about things that shouldn’t be discussed.


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 So I want the younger ones to get married, have children, and manage a household. That way, they won’t give the enemy any opportunity to insult us.


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 If one of the believing women has widows in her family, she should take care of them: she shouldn’t burden the community. That way, the community can take care of the ones who are truly widows.


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 The elders who have led well should be regarded as worthy of double honor-particularly those who work hard at preaching and teaching.


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 Because the scripture says, “Don’t muzzle the ox that’s threshing,”j and “The laborers deserve their pay”.k


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 Confront those who have sinned, in front of everyone. That way, everybody else will be afraid to do the same.


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 I challenge you, in front of God, and Christ Jesus, and God’s chosen angels: follow these instructions without prejudging anything. Don’t do anything out of partiality.m


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 Don’t give anyone spiritual responsibility right awayn.-don’to get involved in other people’s sins. Keep yourself pure.p


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 Don’t just drink water anymore-use a little wine because of your stomach, and the illnesses you keep getting.q


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 Some people’s sins are obvious, and go ahead of them to judgment, and other people’s follow behind them.


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 The good things people do are also just as obvious-and the things that aren’t good can’t be kept hidden.


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 Advice about Slaves and Masters Those who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of total respect. That way, God’s name and our teaching won’t get insulted.


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 And those who have believing masters shouldn’t despise them for being Christians.a Just the opposite: they should serve them more, because the recipients of their good work are believers, and are dear to them.b. Beware of Argumentative, Greedy People Teach and encouragec these things.


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 Supposed somebody teaches something different-suppose they don’t pay attention to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to reverent teaching.e


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 They’ve become puffed up with pride, and they don’t understand anything at all. They have a sick obsession with arguments and battles over words. Those things result inf hatred, petty fights, insults, and vicious rumors.g


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 Such things are constant irritations amongh people whose minds are ruined, and who’ve lost the truth. They think that reverence for God is a way of getting rich.


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 Because we didn’t bring anything into the world-and because we can’t take anything out of it either.


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 But people who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and into lots of mindless and harmful desires. Those desires sink people into ruin and destruction.


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 Because love of money is a root of all the evils there are. Through yearning for money, some people have fallen away from the faith, and have stabbed themselves right through with lots of sufferings.


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 Struggle in the Good Contest of Faith But you, man of God, stay well away from all this.i Go after integrity,j reverence for God, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.


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 Struggle in the good contest of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called-and which you publicly professed, making the good profession in front of lots of witnesses.


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 I challenge you-in front of God, who gives life to all things, and in front of Christ Jesus, who testified to the good profession in front of Pontius Pilate:k


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 Be flawless and impeccable in keeping thisl command, until the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ!


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 God, the Blessed One, is going to reveal him at the right momentm.- The Only Sovereign, The Ruler of rulers, The Master of masters,n


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 The Only Immortal One, The One who lives in unapproachable light, The One no human being has seen or can see! To God be honor and eternal power! Amen.


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 Rich People Should Do Charitable Work and Give Generously Challenge people who are rich in this age not to think they’re superioro.-and not to put their hope in wealth, which is undependable.p Instead, they should put their hope in God. God is the One who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.


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 They should do charitable work and be wealthy in good deeds. They should be generous givers, people who share.


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 They’ll be storing away a good foundation for themselves for the coming age. That way they’ll take hold of what’s really life.


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 Final Challenge and Greeting Timothy, protect what I’m leaving in your care!q Turn your back on the unholy babblings and contradictionsr of what’s falsely labeled as “knowledge”.


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 Some people have claimed to be experts in that stuff,s and have gotten way off in terms of the faith. Grace be with you.t


text:
 PAUL’Sa SECOND LETTER TO TIMOTHY Greeting From Paul, an apostleb of Christ Jesus by God’s will-in line with the good news of Life that’s in Christ Jesus.


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 To Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace to you, from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord.


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 Prayer of Thanksgiving and Encouragement to Hold On I thank God for you, as I serve God with a clean conscience, in the tradition of my ancestors. I constantly remember you in my prayers, night and day.


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 I’ve been thinking of the realc faith that’s in you-which first found a home in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice.d And I’m convinced it’s in you too.


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 That’s why I’m reminding you to stir up the fire of God’s gift in you-which you got when I laid my hands on you.e


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 So don’t be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, his prisoner. No, with the power of God, join in the sufferings that go along with preaching the good news.


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 God has saved us, and has given us a holy calling.f It’s not because of anything we’ve done-not at all. It’s because of God’s own purpose and grace.g God gave that grace to us in Christ Jesus before time began.


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 And it’s now been revealed by the appearance of our Savior Christ Jesus. He has abolished death, by shining the light of Life and immortalityh through the good news.


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 And that’s why I’m going through these sufferings. But I’m not ashamed. Because I know Who I believe in. And I’m convinced that Jesusl is strong enough to protect what I’ve left in his care. On That Day, he’s going to give it back to me.m


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 Hold onto the example of healthy teachings that you’ve heard from me. Hold onto it in faith, and in the love that’s in Christ Jesus.


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 Protect the precious thing that’s been left in your care.n Protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us.


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 As you know, everybody in the province of Asiao has turned their back on me-for example, Phygelusp and Hermogenes.q


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 May the Lord show mercy to the familyr of Onesiphorus!s Because he gave me a place to restt lots of times. And he hasn’t been ashamed of my imprisonment.u


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 May the Lord give him his own mercy on That Day! And you know very well the ways he served me when I was in Ephesus.w


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 Be a Strong Soldier for Christ Jesus So be strong, my son!a Be strong withb the grace that’s in Christ Jesus.


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 And pass on the things you’ve heard from me in front of lots of witnesses. Pass them on to faithful people-people who’ll be able, in turn,c to teach others.


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 Nobody on active military service gets themselves tangled up in day-to-day business matters. They have to be accountable tod the person that recruited them.


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 And also, suppose somebody competes in a sport. They aren’t crowned the winner unless they compete within the rules.


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 Remember Jesus Christ, David’s descendent, who’s risen from among the dead according to the good news that I preach.f


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 That’s what I’m suffering for-to the point of being chained up in prison as a criminal. But God’s messageg isn’t bound!


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 And soh I’m enduring all these things for the sake of the people God has chosen.i It’s so that they can get the salvation that’s in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.


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 Always Encourage and Warn People Remind people of these things. Warn them in front of Godj not to argue back and forth over words. They don’t serve any purpose, except to totally mess up those who listen.


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 Do your best to pass muster with God. Show yourself to be a worker with nothing to be ashamed of-cut a straight line with the true message.


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 And stay away from people talking irreligious nonsense. Because they’re just going to go further, into more irreverence.


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 They’ve gotten way off, as far as the truth goes. They say that the resurrection has already happened,n and they’re upsetting some people’s faith.


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 But God’s foundation stands firm, and it has this seal: The Sovereign One knows his own.o. And, Everybody who names the name of the Sovereign One has to turn away from wrongdoing.p


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 And in a large household, there aren’t only gold and silver bowls and things-there are wooden ones, and ones made of pottery. Some are valuable, and some are ordinary.q


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 So if somebody washes themselves clean from this kind of thing,r they’re going to be a valuable one, made holy, useful to the owner of the house. They’ll be prepared for every good use.s


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 Go After Integrity, Faith, Love, and Peace So avoid the lusts that go along with being young.t Instead, join people whou call on the Lord out of a clean heart-go after integrity, faith, love, and peace.


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 And a servant of the Lord shouldn’t be fighting-just the opposite. They should be kind to everyone. They should be able to teach, and be tolerant.


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 They should gently instruct their opponents. That way, maybe God will give them a change of heartx that will lead to a recognition of the truth-


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 and they’ll come to their senses, and escape from the devil’s trap. They had been captured by him so they would do what he wanted.


text:
 Bad Times are Coming in the Last Days Now, you should know that there are going to be bad times in the last days.a


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 Because people are going to be self-satisfied,b money-loving braggarts. They’ll be arrogant, foul-mouthed, and disobedient to their parents. They’ll be ungrateful and unholy.


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 They’ll be callous and obstinate. They’ll spread vicious rumors.c They’ll be wild and out of control, with no love of what’s good.


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 They’ll be treacherous and reckless. They’ll be conceited, and more in love with pleasure than with God.


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 They’ll have an appearance of reverence for God, but they’ll have denied the power of it. Just stay away from them!


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 Some of them are men whod cleverly slip into households-and they capture weak-minded women who are loaded down with sins. They’re led around by various sorts of obsessions.e


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 And these men work just like Jannes and Jambres,g who stood against Moses. These people stand against the truth. They’re people who’ve totally corrupted their minds. They’ve failed the test as far as the faith goes.


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 But they won’t get any further. Because their foolishness is going to become obvious to everybody-just like what happened to Jannes and Jambres.h


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 Paul’s Challenge to Timothy But as for you, you’ve followed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose,i my faith, my patience with people, my love, my endurance.


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 You’ve followed my persecutions and my sufferings-the sorts of things that happened to me in Antioch,j Iconiumk and Lystral.-all the persecutionsm I’ve endured. And the Lord has saved me from them all.


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 But then again, everybody that wants to live in devotion to Christ Jesus is going to be persecuted.n


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 But evilo people and fakes are going to go from bad to worse. They’ll be deceiving people and being deceived themselves.


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 But as for you, stay with the things you’ve learned and believed. Because you know the people you learned them from.


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 And you know that you’ve known the holy scriptures since you were a baby. They can give you wisdom that leads to salvation,p through your faith in Christ Jesus.


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 All scripture is inspired by God.q And so it’s useful for teaching, challenging, and correcting, and for training people in the ways of right living.r


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 It’s given so that the person who belongs to Gods can be completely equipped for every good endeavor.


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 I challenge you in front of God, and in front of Christ Jesus, who’s going to judge the living and the dead-and I challenge you by his arrival and his kingdom:


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 Preach the message! Give it your full attention-when it’s convenient, and when it’s not convenient.a Confront people. Tell them off. Encourage them.b Usec all your patience, and all your teaching skills.d


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 Because a time is coming when people will not stand for healthy teaching-just the opposite. They are going to pile up teachers for themselves in line with their own lusts. They’ll be getting their ears tickled.


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 But as for you, keep your head at all times.e Endure suffering. Do your work as an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry.


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 From now on, what’s in store for me is the crown of integrityf as my prize. The Lord, the fair judge of these games, is going to award it to me on That Day.g And not just to me-it’ll also be given to everyone who has looked forward with love to his appearing.h


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 Because Demasi has left me-he’s in love with the present world,j and has gone to Thessalonica.k Crescensl has gone to Galatia,m and Titus to Dalmatia.n


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 Luke is the only person with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you-he’s valuable to me as a helper.o


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 When you come, bring the cape I left behind in Troas with Carpusq.-and the scrolls, especially the parchments.


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 Alexander the metalworker did me a lot of harm. The Lord will pay him back in line with the things he did.


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 At my first defense, nobody stood by me. Just the opposite: everybody deserted me-may God not hold it against them.r


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 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me-so that the message of the good news could be fully preached through me, and all the Gentiles would hear it. And so I got rescued from the lion’s mouth.


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 The Lord is going to rescue me from every evil thing that people try to do to me.s And he’s going to save me to be a part of his Heavenly Reign. Glory to him, forever and ever! Amen.


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 Make a big effort to come before winter. Eubulus, Pudens,x Linus, and Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters, say hello to you.


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 PAUL’Sa LETTER TO TITUS Greeting From Paul, a servantb of God and an apostlec of Jesus Christ, in line with the faith of God’s chosen ones. And it’s in line with the knowledge of truth that comes fromd reverence for God.


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 And God has brought the divine message to light at the right momente.-by the proclamation that I’ve been entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior.


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 To Titus, my true child in our common faith. Grace and peace to you, from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Savior.


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 Instructions for Leadership in Crete The reason I left you in Crete was so that you could finish setting things up-including appointingf elders in every city, as I instructed you.


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 They should have a spotless reputationg and be faithful to one spouse.h They should have believing children. They shouldn’t be open to the accusation of living self-destructively, or of being rebellious.i


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 After all, a pastorj has to have a spotless reputationk as a caretakerl of God’s household. They shouldn’t be self-centered or hot-tempered. They should not be a drinker, or violent, or greedy about money.


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 Not at all. They should be hospitable. They should love what’s good. They should be self-controlled, a person of integrity.m They should be holy and disciplined.


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 They should be loyal to the message of faith, in line with our teaching. That way, they will not only be able to encourage people with that healthy teaching-they’ll also be able to refute people who oppose it.


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 Because there are lots of are rebellious, nonsense-talking deceivers. Most of them come out of Judaism.n


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 You have to make them be quiet. They upset whole familieso by teaching things they shouldn’t teach for their own advantage.p


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 One of them-one of their own prophets-said, “Cretansq are always liars, nasty brutes, and lazy gluttons”.


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 They won’t be paying attention to Jewish myths, and to rules from people who are turning their back on the truth.


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 To the pure, everything’s pure.s. But to people who are corrupt and faithless,t nothing’s pure. Just the opposite. Their mind and their conscience are both corrupt.


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 They claimu to know God, but they deny God with their actions. They’re horrible and disobedient, and they’re worthless when it comes to doing anything good.


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 that older men should be sober,b honorable, and self-disciplined. They should be strongc in faith, love, and endurance.


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 The same with older women. They should be reverent in their behavior. They shouldn’t spread vicious rumors,d or be addicted alcohol,e but should have good things to teach.f


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 They should give the young women wise advice and teach them to love their husbands and their children. They should teach them to be


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 self-controlled, holy, dedicated homemakers. They should be kind, and obedient to their husbands, so that God’s message won’t get insulted.


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 In every situation, present yourself as a model of good behavior: by your teaching, your integrity,g your dignity,


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 and your impeccably wholesome habits of speech. That way, anybody who’s against the faith will end up looking bad,h because they won’t have anything bad to say against us.


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 Slaves should be obedient to their masters about everything. Make them happy with you, rather than talking back


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 and swiping things.i Show them total good faith. That way, you’ll always bring honor toj the teaching of God our Savior.


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 It’s taught us to renounce godlessness, and the obsessionsl of this world. It’s taught us to live soberly, justly, and reverently in this age,


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 as we wait expectantly for our wonderfulm hope: the appearance of the glory of our great God, and our Savior, Jesus Christ.n


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 Christ gave himself for us, to set us free from all our lawlessness, and to purify a special people for himself-a people totally committed to doing what’s good.o


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 Keep saying these things. And keep on encouraging and correcting people with complete authority. No one should look down on you.


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 The Importance of Peacefulness and Gentleness Remind peoplea to submit themselves to the ruling authorities and obey them.b They should be ready to do all kinds of good things.c


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 They should never insult anybody. They should be peaceful and easygoing.d They should show complete gentleness to all people.


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 After all, we used to be thoughtlesse once, too-we were disobedient and deceived. We were enslaved to various obsessionsf and pleasures. We went about our lives in nastiness and hate. We were horrible, and we hated each other.


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 It wasn’t because of things we’d done rightg.-far from it. God saved us in line with God’s mercy, by washing us through rebirth and renewal byh the Holy Spirit.


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 That way, we could be found innocent by his grace, and could become heirs, in line with the hope of eternal life.


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 That’s a trustworthy statement. And I want you to keep insisting on these things. That way, those who believe in God will concentrate on doing good things that are honorable and useful to people.


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 But avoid stupid arguments, genealogies of semi-divine beings,i petty fighting, and conflicts over the Law. Because those things are worthless and useless.


text:
 Final Instructions and Greeting When I send Artemasj or Tychicusk to you, make a big effort to come to me at Nicopolisl.-I’ve decided to stay there for the winter.


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 Do a good job in sending Zenasm the lawyer and Apollosn on their way-make sure they have everything they need.o


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 And let our folks be learning to concentrate on doing good things that meet pressing needs, so they won’t be unproductive.


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 Greeting and Prayer of Thanks From Paul, a prisoner fora Christ Jesus, and from my brother Timothy. To Philemon,b our dear friend and co-worker,


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 and to our sister Apphia,c and to Archippusd our fellow soldier, and to the communitye that meets in your house.


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 Because I am hearing about your love, and about the faith that you showf towards the Lord Jesus, and to all the holy ones.


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 I’m praying that your partnership in the faithg will resulth in your recognition of all the goodness that’s in us in Christ.


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 Because I’ve had a lot of joy and encouragement from your love: you’ve refreshed the hearts of the holy ones,i my brother!


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 Paul Calls in a Favor on Behalf of Onesimus So, although I have plenty of confidence in Christ that I could order you to do what’s right,


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 I’d rather appeal to you on the basis ofj love. I’ll just speak ask Paul the elderl.-and now, also as a prisoner form Christ Jesus.


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 I had wished that I could keep him here with me-that way, he could help me on your behalf, while I’m in prisonp for the good news.


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 But I didn’t want to do anything without your permission. That way, your good deed wouldn’t be forced: it would be by choice.q


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 After all, maybe this was why he was separated from you for a while-so that you’d get him back forever.


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 But not as a slave anymore-no, more than a slave. Now he’s a dear brother-especially to me, but how much more to you, both humanly and in the Lord!


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 I, Paul, am writing this myself: I will pay you back. (That way I don’t have to mention to you that you also owe me yourself!)


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 And at the same time, get a room ready for me too. Because I’m hoping to be given to you through your prayers.


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 THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWSa The Coming of God’s Son-Who is far above the Angels Long ago, God spoke to our ancestors many times, and in many ways, through the prophets.


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 In these ‘last days,’b God has spoken to us through a Son. God has appointed the Son to inherit everything;c and through him, God created the universe.d


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 He’s the brightness of God’s glory, and the exact imagee of God’s nature. He holds everything in existence by his powerful word.f When he’d done a cleansing of people’s sins,g he sat down at the right side of the Majestic One in the heavens.


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 He has become much greater than the angels, just as the name that he has inherited is much greater than theirs.


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 After all, which of the angels did God ever say this to:h. You’re my Son- I’ve become your Father today!i And this:j. I’m going to be his Father, And he’s going to be my Son.k


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 And God says this about the angels: God makes God’s angels winds, And God’s messengers flames of fire!m


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 But God says this about the Son: God, your throne is forever and ever, And justice is your royal scepter.n. You’ve loved justice and hated lawlessness;


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 Soo God, your God, has anointedp you with the oil of great joy, Blessing you more than your companions.q


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 And this: You laid the foundations of the earth in the beginning, Lord. And the heavens are your creation.r


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 And you’re going to roll them up like a blanket. They’ll get changed just like clothes. But you are the same, And your years are not going to come to an end.s


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 And which of the angels did God ever say this to:t. Sit on my right, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.u


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 Aren’t the angels all spirits, on assignment for service? Aren’t they sent for the sake of peoplev who are going to inherit salvation?


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 The Son of God Became a Human Being in Order to Save us Because of this, we have to pay all the more attention to what we’ve heard, so we don’t drift away from it.


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 Because even what was said through angelsa turned out to be reliable-and every violation and act of disobedience got a fair punishment.


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 If that’s true, how are we going to get away with neglecting a salvation as great as this? It got its start being taughtb by the Lord;c then it was confirmed to us by those who heard him.


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 God testified alongside them-with miracles,d wonders, various sorts of displays of power, and outpouringse of the Holy Spirit by God’s will.


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 After all, we’re talking about the world to come.f God didn’t put that world under the authority of angels.


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 But somebody testifies somewhere in scripture, What is humanity, That makes you notice us?g. Or what is a human being,h. That makes you take care of us?


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 You’ve placed everything under our feet.j. Now, since God has placed everythingk under humanity, God hasn’t left anything that’s not subject to humanity. Yet we don’t now see everything subject to usl yet.


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 But in the words, “placed a littlem lower than the angels,” we see Jesus. Because he went through death, he was “crowned with glory and honor”. He died so that, by God’s grace, he could taste death for everyone.


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 After all, it’s because of God and through God that everything exists. So, in leading many children to glory, it was appropriate for God to perfect the championn of their salvation through sufferings.


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 After all, the Oneo who makes people holy and the people being made holy are all from one God. Which is why Jesus isn’t embarrassed to call them brothers and sisters.


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 He says, I’m going to tell your name to my brothers and sisters! I’m going to sing about you when I’m worshiping with my community!p


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 And again, I’m going to put my trust in God.q. And again, Look at me, withr the children God has given me!s


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 So since the children are all flesh and blood human beings, he shared the very same form of existence.t That way, through his death, he could overthrow the one who has the power of death-in other words, the devil.


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 Because of that, he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way. That way he could be merciful to them, and be their faithful High Priestv in front of God. And he could accomplish the forgiveness ofw the people’s sins.


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 After all, because he’s suffered temptation himself, he’s able to help people who are being tempted.


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 Jesus the Son of God is Far Greater than Moses Holy brothers and sisters, we share a calling from God. In view of what we’ve been saying, think about Jesus, the Messenger and High Priesta that we profess.b


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 He’s faithful to the One who appointed him, just as “Moses was faithful in allc matters of God’s household”.d


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 And Jesus has been found worthy of greater glory than Moses-just as much as a person who built a house has greater honor than the house.


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 Also, “Moses was faithful as a servant in all matters of God’s household,”e to testify tof the things that were said by God.


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 But Jesus, on the other hand, is faithful as a Son who’s in charge ofg God’s household. We are God’s household, if we hold onto our boldness, and to the public profession of our hope.h


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 So I was very angry with that generation, and I said,  “They’re always going off in the wrong directionk in their hearts, And they don’t understand my ways”.


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 Be careful, brothers and sisters, so that there’s not an evil and faithless heart in any of you-a heart that turns away from the Living God.


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 But encourage each other every day, as long as it’s still called “Today”.m That way, none of you will be hardened by the seductiveness of sin.


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 Because we’ve become Christ’s companions,n as long as we hold onto our original confidence, right to the end.


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 It says,o. Today, if you hear God’s voice, Don’t hardenp your hearts, like they did in the rebellion.q


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 And who were those God “was very angry with for forty years”? Wasn’t it the people who sinned-and “their bodiesr fell down dead in the desert”?s


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 And who was it that God swore to, that they were never going to come into God’s rest?t Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed?


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 Entering the Rest That God Has Promised So let’s be extremely careful. Because the promise of coming into God’s rest is still open, and none of you should appear to miss out on it.a


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 After all, we’ve had the good news preached to us just like them. But the message they heard didn’t benefit them-because they weren’t unitedb in faith with those who truly listened to it.c


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 Because it’s those of us who have become believersd who come into God’s rest. Just as God says, This is what I sworee in my anger: “They’re never going to come into my rest”.f. Yet God’s work has been finishedg since the creationh of the world.


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 Because this is what it says somewhere about the seventh day:i And God rested on the seventh day, from all God’s work.j


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 So some people still have to come into God’s rest-because the first people who heard the good news didn’t come in, because of their disobedience.


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 So God sets another day, “today,” speaking through David after all that time. That’s what was said before: Today, if you hear God’s voice, Don’t hardenl your hearts.m


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 After all, if Joshua had given them rest, David wouldn’t have been talking about another day after that time.n


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 So let’s do our best to come into that rest. That way, nobody will fall down by following their exampleq of disobedience.


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 Because God’s word is alive and active, and it’s sharperr than any two-edged sword. And it penetrates right to the boundary between soul and spirit, to the boundary between joint and marrow.s And it’s able to judge the inner ideas and thoughts of the heart.


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 And there’s no created thing that’s invisible to the One we’re dealing with-everything stands naked and exposed before God’s eyes.


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 Jesus is our Great High Priest So, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus, God’s Son, let’s hold firm to what we proclaim.t


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 After all, we don’t have a high priest that can’t sympathize with our weaknesses: he’s been tested in all the same ways as we have, without sin.


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 So let’s come boldlyu up to the throne of grace. That way we can receive mercy, and find grace for help when we need it.v


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 Now, every high priest is selected from among the people. He’s appointed to deal with God on their behalf,a and to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.


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 He’s able to be gentle with people who are ignorant and off base, because he’s wrapped up in weakness himself.


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 And because of that, he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins just as he does for the people’s sins.


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 And nobody takes this honor on for himself-far from it. They’re called by God, just like Aaron was.


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 In the same way, Christ didn’t try to glorify himself by becoming high priest. No, it was God who said to him, You’re my Son- I’ve become your Father today!b


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 Just like God also says in another place: You’re a priest forever, in the priestly line of Melchizedek.c


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 When he lived physically on earth, Jesus came to God praying and pleading for help, with loud cries and tears. He knew God was able to save him from death, and his prayers were answered because of his reverence.d


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 And he’s been perfected, and has become the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.


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 We have a lot to say about this Melchizedek-and it’s hard to explain, because you’ve gotten hard of hearing.


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 After all, you should even be teachers by now. But you need somebody to teach you certain basic first principlese of God’s revelationsf again. You’ve become dependent ong milk, and not solid food.


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 And everybody that lives on milk is ignorant when it comes to righth teaching, because they’re still an infant.


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 But solid food is for people who are mature. Mature people’s senses have been trained, through practice, to distinguish what’s good and what’s bad.


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 The Danger of Falling Away So-let’s leave behind the first lessonsa about Christ, and move on to maturity. Let’s not lay down the foundation over again, by talking about *	a change of heartb from deathly behaviors, *	faith in God,


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 Now, suppose people have already been enlightened: they’ve tasted the heavenly gift; they’ve shared in the Holy Spirit;


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 If they fall away after that, it’s impossible to bring them back to a change of heart again.d Because they’re hanging the Son of God on a cross all over again for themselves, and they’re publicly disgracing him.


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 After all, when the ground drinks up the rain that often falls on it, and it grows plants acceptable to the people it’s farmed for, then it gets a blessinge from God.


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 But if it produces thorns and thistles, then it’s worthless, and it’s close to being cursed.f It’s destined to be burned.g


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 Now, dear friends, even though we’re talking like this, we’re convinced of better things in your case. We believe you’re holding on to your salvation.h


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 After all, God isn’t so unfair as to forget the things you’ve done, and the love you’ve shown for God’s name. You’ve served the holy ones, and you’re serving them now.


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 We just really want each of you to show the same commitment to the fulfillment of your hope, right to the end.


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 That way you won’t get lazy, but you’ll imitatei those who inherit the promises through their faith and patience.


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 God’s Promise is Certain to be Fulfilled Now, God made a promise to Abraham.j Having nobody greater to swear by, God swore by God’s very own self:


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 Of course, people swear by somebody greater than themselves. And for them, when an oath is sworn to confirm something, it puts an end to all argument.


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 So when God wanted to demonstrate very clearlyl (to those who inherit the promise) the unchangeableness of God’s intention, God guaranteed it with an oath.


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 So we, who have runm to take hold of the hope that lies ahead of us, can have strong assurance. We take our assurance from two unchangeable things: the promise and the oath. With each of them, it’s impossible for God to lie.n


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 Our hope is like an anchor for our life.o It’s steady and secure, and it goes right in to the innermost place, behind the curtain.p


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 That’s where Jesus has gone in firstq on our behalf. He’s become a high priest forever, in the priestly line of Melchizedek.r


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 The Ancient Priest-King Melchizedek Points Forward to Christ Now, as for this Melchizedek,a “Melchizedek was the king of Salem,b and a priest of God Most High. He met Abraham as he was returning from the defeat of the kings. He blessed him,” and 	


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 Abraham gave him a tenth portion of all the spoils.c. “Melchizedek,” in the first place, means “King of Justice”. Secondly, he’s also called “king of Salem”. That means, “King of Peace”.


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 He has no father, no mother, no genealogy.d And no beginning or end of his life is mentioned.e And like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.f


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 Just think how great this person was. Abraham, our famous ancestor,g gave him a tenth of the spoils.


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 Now, some of Levi’s descendants are given the office of priest. According to the Law, they’re commanded to take a tenth from the people-that is, from their fellow Israelites.h That’s even though they’re Abraham’s descendants.i


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 Yet Melchizedek, who’s not in their family line, has taken a tenth from Abraham! And he has blessed the one who has the promise!


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 And it’s beyond all dispute that the person with less status is blessed by the person with more status.


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 And in the one case mortal human beings collect a tenth. But in the other case, Melchizedek has the testimony of scripture that he’s still alive.j


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 You could even say that Levi himself, the one who collects the tenth, has given a tenth through Abraham.


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 Now, then: the Law was given through the Levitical priesthood. So let’s sayl perfectionm was possible to achieve through that. Then what need would there be for somebody else to come along “in the priestly line of Melchizedek,” not fromn Aaron’s line?


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 After all, the words, “You are a priest forever,”o are said to a person who comes from a different tribe-and nobody has ever served at the altar from that tribe.


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 Because it’s clear that our Lord comes from the tribe of Judah. Moses never said anything top the tribe of Judah about being priests.


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 That person’s identity is not based on a law with a command about who physically qualifies as a priest.q No, it’s based on the power of a life that can’t be destroyed.


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 Sot on the one hand, the previous commandment is being set aside, due to its own weakness and lack of effectiveness.


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 Because the Law hasn’t perfected anything. And on the other hand, there’s the introduction of a greater hope. And through that hope we are coming close to God.


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 And it’s significant that there was an oath sworn.u Because on the one hand, these folks, the descendants of Levi, have become priests without any oath being sworn.


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 Yet on the other hand, this other personv becomes a priest with the swearing of an oath by God, who said to him,w. The Sovereign One has sworn, And it will not be taken back: You are a priest forever.x


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 So he can also save, forever, those who come to God through him. Because he always lives to pray for them.


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 After all, it’s only right that we should have a high priest like Jesus:y he’s holy, innocent, and pure.z He can’t be corrupted by sinners,aa and is nowbb higher than the heavens.


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 He’s not like the Levitical high priests, who need to offer a sacrifice for their own sins day after day, and then offer a sacrifice for the people.cc He doesn’t need to do that. Because he sacrificed for the peopledd once and for all, when he offered himself.


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 Because the Law appoints people as high priests who have weaknesses. But the oath, that’s sworn after the giving of the Law, appoints a Son who is perfect forever.


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 Jesus is our High Priest and the Mediator of a New Covenant Now, to sum up what’s been said: that’s what kind of high priest we have. He sits at the right of the throne of the Majestic One in the heavens.


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 He serves ina the Holy Place that’s the true Tent of Witness.b The Sovereign One set that one up, not human beings.


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 Now, every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. So it’s necessary for him to have something to offer.


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 So if he were on earth, he wouldn’t be a priest. After all, there are already people offering the gifts prescribed byc the Law.


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 They’re serving a symbol and a shadow of the heavenly things. It’s just like Moses was divinely instructed, when he was about to put together the Tent.d Because God says, Make sure that you make everything according to the pattern that was revealed to you on the mountain.e


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 But now, Jesus has received a much greater ministry, sincef he’s the mediator of a greater covenant. It’s a covenant that’s based on greater promises.


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 After all, if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, then there would have been no point in trying to make room for a second one.g


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 Yet God does indeed find fault. God says to them,h. Look! Days are coming, says the Sovereign One, When I will make a new covenant with the familyi of Israel, And with the people of Judah.


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 It won’t be like the covenant I made with their ancestors, On the day when I took them by the hand And led them out of the land of Egypt. Because they didn’t abide by my covenant, And I stopped caring about them too, says the Sovereign One.


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 Now, this is the covenant that I’m going to make with the familyj of Israel after that time,k says the Sovereign One. I’m going to give them my laws in their minds, And I’m going to write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, And they will be my people.


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 And not one of them will ever teach their fellow citizen, or their brother or their sister, by saying to them, “Know the Sovereign One,” Because they’re all going to know me, From the weakest to the most powerfulthem.


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 Because I’m going to be merciful about their wrongdoings, And I’m never going to remember their sins anymore.m


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 By saying, “new,” it has made the first covenant “old”. And what’s aging, and getting old, is close to disappearing.


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 The Earthly and the Heavenly Holy Place Now, the first covenant used to have rules for worshipa and an earthly Holy Place.


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 For example, it was set up so that the first part of the Tent had the lampstand,b and the table withc the offering of the loaves.d That’s called “the Holy Place”.


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 It has a golden incense altar and the “ark of the covenant,”f which is covered with gold all over. In it there’s a gold jar that has the manna,g Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.h


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 Over the ark, the “cherubsi of glory” overshadow the “mercy seat”.j We can’t talk in detail right now about these things.


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 Now, with things set up this way, the priests go into the first tent all the time as they carry out their worship duties.


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 But somebody goes into the second tent just once a year-only the high priest. And he always brings blood, on behalf of his and the people’s unnoticed sins.


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 The Holy Spirit is showing us something here: as long as the first tent is still in place, the way into the Holy Place hasn’t been revealed yet.


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 This is a symbol of the present time. During this time, gifts and offerings are being presented to God, but they’re not able to cleark the conscience of the worshipers.


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 They’re only about food and drink, and various washings. They’re rules about physical things,l rules put in place until a time of restoration comes.


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 Christ Offers Himself in the Heavenly Holy Place But Christ has arrived as the high priest of the good things that have come.m He has gone through the greater and more perfect tent-the one that’s not made by human hands. In other words, it’s not of this creation.


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 And he hasn’t gone into the Holy Place with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, once for all. He has succeeded in purchasing people out of captivity for all time.n


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 After all, when people have become ceremonially unclean, the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkled ashes of a heifer, make them holy, so their flesh is clean.


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 Isn’t Christ’s blood much greater than that? He offered himself spotless to God, through the eternal Spirit. Won’t his blood cleanse ouro consciences from dead behaviors, so we can serve the Living God?p


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 And that’s why he’s the mediator of a new covenant. This is how it works: Jesus experienced death for people’s release from their offenses against the first covenant. That way, those who are called could receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.


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 Because in the case of a will,q the death of the person who made it is necessary in order to bring it into force.


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 After all, a will is valid in the case of the dead-since it never has force while the person who made it is alive.


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 Because when Moses had read aloud every commandment in the whole Law,s he took the blood of calves,t together with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop.u And he sprinkled both the scroll and all the people.


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 And nearly everything is cleansed with blood according to the Law. And without blood being shed, there’s no forgiveness.


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 So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be cleansed by these rituals. But the heavenly things themselves had to be cleansed with better sacrifices than these.


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 Because Christ didn’t go into the Holy Place made by human hands-into a copy of the real thing. No, he went into heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.


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 And it’s not so he can offer himself lots of times-like the high priest, who goes into the Holy Place every year with blood that’s not his own.


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 (In that case, Christ would have had to suffer lots of times since the creationw of the world.) But now he has appeared once, at the wrapping up of the ages. He has appeared for the purpose of abolishing sin through his sacrifice of himself.


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 And it’s the same with Christ. He has offered himself once for all, to bear the sin of many people; the second time around, he’s not going to appear to deal with sin. He’s going to appear for the salvation of those who are looking forward to his coming.


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 Christ’s Self-Offering Takes Away our Sins Once and for All Now, the Law has a shadow of the good things that are coming. But it isn’t the form of those things itself. Year by year, with the same sacrifices all the time, ita can never perfect the people who offer them.


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 After all, wouldn’t sacrifices have stopped being offered in that case? Because the worshipers wouldn’t be conscious of sins anymore. They’d have been cleansed once for all.


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 So when Christ comes into the world, he says, You haven’t wanted a sacrifice or an offering, But you crafted a body for me.


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 Then I said, See, I’m coming! It’s written about me in the scroll.b. I’m coming, God, to do your will.c


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 Now, he says above, You don’t value sacrifice or offering or whole burnt offerings or sin offerings, and you don’t want them.d. (Yet those things are offered in line with the Law!)


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 But then he says,e See, I’m coming to do your will.f. He takes away the first so he can set up the second.


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 It’s by this will that we’ve been made holy, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.


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 Now, every priest stands there every day serving in the Temple, and offering the same sacrifices time after time. Those sacrifices can never take away sins.


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 “This is the covenant I’m going to make with them after that time,” says your Sovereign. “I’m going to give them my laws on their hearts, and I’m going to write them on their minds.”k


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 Stay Strong Together in the Face of Persecution So, brothers and sisters, we have confidencen to go into the Holy Place, thanks to the bloodo of Jesus.


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 let’s come to Godq with true hearts, in the full confidence of our faith. Our hearts should be sprinkled clean from a bad conscience, and our bodies washed in clean water.


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 We should hold fast to the public profession of our hope-because the One who has promised us is faithful.


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 Let’s not stop meeting with each other, as some have.s Just the opposite-let’s encourage each other all the more as you see the Dayt getting near.


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 Because if we sin deliberately after we’ve received the knowledge of the truth, there’s no sacrifice for sins left anymore.


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 There’s only the terrible expectation of judgment, and a furious fire that’s going to burn up the enemies.u


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 If somebody defies the Law of Moses, they die without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.


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 But suppose there’s somebody who tramples on the Son of God. Suppose they treat as unclean the blood of the covenant-the blood that made them holy. Suppose they insult the Spirit of grace. How much worse punishment do you think such a person will deserve?


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 After all, we know the One who said, Revenge is for me alone. I will pay people back.v. And again: The Sovereign God is going to judge God’s people.w


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 But remember the early days.x In those days, when you’d just been enlightened, you held out throughy a hard struggle with sufferings.


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 Sometimes you were publicly humiliated with insults and persecutions; at other times, you stoodz with people who were being treated in those ways.


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 Because you suffered along with those who were in prison. And when your possessions wereaa taken away by force, you faced it with joy. You knew that you have possessions that are better and more lasting.


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 And my innocent ones will live by their faith. Butbb if they back off, I won’t be pleased with them.cc. But we’re not about shrinking back towards destruction-no! We’re about faith, that leads to our lives being saved.dd


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 The Meaning of Faith Faith is the assurancea of our hopes. It’s the proofb of things we can’t see.c


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 By faith we know that the universe wase crafted by the word of God, so that what we seef hasn’t come from things that are visible.


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 Heroes of Faith By faith Abelg brought God a better offering than Cain did.h Through faith Abel received God’s testimony that he was in the right:i God testified about his offerings. Through faith, though he’s dead, he still speaks.


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 By faith Enochj was taken up, so that he wouldn’t face death.k And “he was nowhere to be found,l because God had taken him up”.m Andn before he was taken up,o it was testified that “he was pleasing to God”.


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 And without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Because the person that comes to God has to believe that God exists, and rewardsp those who seek God out.


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 By faith Noah was prophetically warned about things that weren’t visible yet.q He respected God and built an ark,r which would save his family.s Through faith he condemned the world, and he became an heir to the integrityt that comes from faith.


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 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called, and set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.u And he set out without knowing where he was going.


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 By faith he moved to the promised land, even though it was a foreign place.v He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were co-heirs of the same promise.


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 He did it because he was looking forward to the city with real foundations. That city’s architect and designer is God.


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 By faith, Sarah too, although she was infertile,w received the power to give birth-and beyond what was possible for her age!x She could do it because she regarded the One who had promised it to be faithful.


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 So from just one man-and practically a dead one at that-were born descendants As numerous as the stars of heaven, And as countless as the sands of the seashore.y


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 All of these people died in faith, without getting the promises. However, they saw them from far away, and welcomed them. And they admitted that they were strangers and visitors on the earth.


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 And if they were remembering the place they had come from as their home country, they had timez to go back.


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 But now they were yearning for something better-in other words, what’s in heaven. That’s why God isn’t ashamed of them, and is willing to be called their God. Because God has builtaa them a city.


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 By faith Abraham offered up Isaac when he was tested. This man, who had accepted the promise, offered up his only child.


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 He figured that God could even raise the dead! And so he did symbolically get Isaac back from death.


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 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons. And “he prayedee as he leaned on the top of his walking staff”.ff


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 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, spoke about the time when the Israelites would leave Egypt.gg And he gave them instructions about what to do with his bones.hh


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 By faith, when Moses was born, he was hidden by his parents for three months. They’d seen his beauty, and they weren’t afraid of the king’s order.ii


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 He chose to be treated badly along with God’s people, rather than to have the temporary pleasure of sin.


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 He regarded disgrace with Christll as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Because he was looking forward to his reward.


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 By faith he left Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger, because he stayed focused on the One who can’t be seen.mm


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 By faith he celebratednn the Passover.oo And he had people spread blood on their doorposts so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch them.pp


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 By faith they walked across the Red Sea as if on dry land. And when the Egyptians tried it, they were drowned.qq


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 By faith the walls of Jerichorr fell down, when the Israelites had walked aroundss them for seven days.


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 By faith Rahabtt the prostitute welcomed the Israelite spies with friendship, and she didn’t dieuu along with those who were disobedient.


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 And what else should I say?vv My time will run out if I tell about Gideon,ww Barak,xx Samson, Jephthahyy and David-not to mentionzz Samuel and all the prophets.


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 Through faith they conquered kingdoms; they did justice-making; they got things that were promised. They shut the mouths of lions;


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 they couldn’t be burned by fire;aaa they escaped the edge of the sword. They were empowered from a position of weakness; they became strong in battle; they toppledbbb foreign armies.


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 Women got their dead back by resurrection. Others were tortured, and refused to be set free, so they would gain a better resurrection.


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 They were stoned, tortured,ccc sawn in two. They died at the edge of the sword.ddd They wandered around in sheepskins and goatskins-destitute, persecuted, mistreated.


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 Here were people the world wasn’t worthy of, wandering around deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.


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 And these people all received God’s commendation through their faith, yet they didn’t get what was promised.


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 Because God foresaw something better about us. They were not going to be brought to perfection apart from us.


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 Run the Race with Endurance And as for us, we have this large cloud of witnesses around us. So let’s get rid of everything that slows us down,a and the sin that so easily tangles us up. And let’s run the race in front of us with endurance.


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 Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, who’s the championb and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay ahead of him, he endured the cross. He gave no notice to the shame of it, and has sat down on the right side of God’s throne.


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 Just think about him-how he has endured such hostility from sinners against himself.c That way, you won’t get tired and give up in your spirits.d


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 And you’ve forgotten the encouragement that’s spoken to you as sons and daughters: My child,e don’t despise the discipline of the Sovereign One, And don’t give up when you’re corrected by God.f


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 Because the Sovereign One disciplines those who are loved,g. And punishes all those who are accepted as children.h


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 Endure what you’re going through as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons and daughters. And what child doesn’t get disciplined by their father?


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 And if you’re above the discipline that everybody takes part in, then you’re illegitimate children, and not sons and daughters.


