# verses

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And sin ·found a way [seized the occasion/opportunity] to use that command and ·cause me to want all kinds of things I should not want [produce in me all kinds of desires/coveting]. But without the law, sin ·has no power [is dead].


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I was alive ·before I knew [or before I recognized the demands of; apart from] the law [Paul thought he was righteous; see ]. But when the law’s command ·came to me [or came to my attention; came], then sin ·began to live [sprang to life], and I died [the law revealed Paul’s sinfulness and confirmed he was spiritually dead].


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Sin ·found a way [seized the occasion/opportunity; ] to ·fool [deceive] me by using the command to make me die.


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Does this mean that something that is good ·brought [or became] death to me? No [Absolutely not; May it never be; ]! Sin used something that is good to bring death to me. This happened so that ·I could see what sin is really like [sin might be shown as sin]; the command was used to show that sin is ·very evil [exceedingly/terribly sinful].


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The War Within Us [For] We know that the law is spiritual, but I am ·not spiritual [fleshly; carnal] ·since sin rules me as if I were its slave [sold to sin; as a slave].


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[For] I do not understand the things I do. [For] I do not do what I want to do, and I do the things I hate.


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And if I do what I do not want to do, that means I agree that the law is good [Paul’s acknowledgement that his behavior is wrong confirms the law’s righteous standards].


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But [now] I am not really the one who is doing these hated things; it is sin living in me that does them.


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·Yes [For…], I know that nothing good lives in me—I mean nothing good lives in ·the part of me that is earthly and sinful [my sinful self; my sinful nature; my flesh]. [For] I want to do the things that are good, but I ·do not [or cannot] do them.


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[For] I do not do the good things I want to do, but I do the ·bad [evil] things I do not want to do.


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So if I do things I do not want to do, then I am not the one doing them. It is sin living in me that does those things.


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So I ·have learned this rule [or find this principle/law at work]: When I want to do good, evil is ·there with me [present within me; close at hand].


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But I see ·another law [a different standard; or another power] working in my ·body [or outward actions; members; parts], which makes war against the ·law [standards] that my mind accepts. That other ·law [standard; or power] working in my ·body [or outward actions; members; parts] is the law of sin, and it makes me its prisoner.


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What a ·miserable [wretched] man I am! Who will ·save [free; rescue; deliver] me from this ·body that brings me death [body doomed to die; or burden of death]?


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·I thank God for saving me [Thanks be to God!] through Jesus Christ our Lord! So [then] in my mind I am a slave to God’s law, but in my ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh] I am a slave to the ·law [principle; or power] of sin.


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Be Ruled by the Spirit So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not ·judged guilty [condemned; punished for their sins].


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[For] ·Through [or In] Christ Jesus the ·law [principle; or power] of the Spirit that brings life set you free from the ·law [principle; or power] that brings sin and death.


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The law [of Moses] was without power, because the law was made weak by our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; flesh]. But God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son to earth ·with the same human life that others use for sin [or in a body like ours, prone to sin; in the likeness of sinful flesh]. By sending his Son ·to be an offering for sin [concerning sin], God ·used a human life to destroy sin [condemned sin in the flesh].


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He did this so that ·we could be the kind of people that the law demands that we be [the law’s righteous/just requirements would be fulfilled in us]. Now we do not ·live [walk; life’s journey] following our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; flesh], but following the Spirit.


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Those who live following their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; flesh] ·think only about [have their minds set on; or have their outlook shaped by] things that their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; flesh] want. But those who live following the Spirit ·are thinking about [have their minds set on; or have their outlook shaped by] the things ·the Spirit wants them to do [of the Spirit].


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If people’s ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh], ·there is [the result is] death. But if their ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the Spirit, ·there is [the result is] life and peace.


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When people’s ·thinking is controlled by [or outlook/mind is set on] the ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh], they are ·against [hostile to] God, because they refuse to ·obey [submit to] God’s law and really are not even able to ·obey [submit to] God’s law.


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Those people who are ·ruled by [or under the control of; in] ·their sinful selves [their sinful nature; the flesh] cannot please God.


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But you are not ·ruled by [controlled by; or in] ·your sinful selves [your sinful nature; the flesh], but ·by [or in] the Spirit, if that Spirit of God really lives in you. But the person who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ.


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Your body ·will always be [is] dead because of sin. But if Christ is in you, then the Spirit ·gives you [is] life, because ·Christ made you right with God [of righteousness].


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God raised Jesus from the dead, and if God’s Spirit is living in you, the One who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies that die, through his Spirit who lives in you.


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So, my brothers and sisters, we ·must not be ruled by [are not obligated to] ·our sinful selves [our sinful nature; the flesh] or live ·the way our sinful selves want [according to the sinful nature/flesh].


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[For] If you ·use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want [live according to the flesh], you will ·die spiritually [die]. But if you ·use the Spirit’s help to [by the Spirit] ·stop doing the wrong things you do with [put to death the deeds of] your body, you will ·have true life [live].


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·The Spirit you received does not make you slaves again to fear [or You did not receive the spirit of slavery, leading to fear]; instead, you received the Spirit ·who adopts you as God’s children [of adoption]. ·With [Through] that Spirit we cry out, “Abba [Aramaic for “Father”; ], Father.”


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If we are God’s children, we ·will receive blessings from God together with Christ [are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ]. ·But we must […if indeed we] ·suffer as Christ suffered [share in his sufferings] so that we ·will have glory as Christ has glory [may share in his glory].


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Our Future Glory [For I consider that] The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be ·shown [revealed] to us.


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·Everything God made [The creation] is waiting with ·excitement [eager expectation] for ·God to show his children’s glory completely [the revelation of the children/sons of God].


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·Everything God made [For the creation] was ·changed to become useless [subjected to futility/meaninglessness; ; ], not by its own wish but because God ·wanted [subjected] it ·and because all along there was this hope [yet with the hope…]:


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that ·everything God made [the creation itself] would be set free from ·ruin [inevitable decay; the slavery of decay] to have the ·freedom and glory [or glorious freedom] that belong to God’s children.


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We know that ·everything God made [all creation] has been ·waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth [groaning with labor pains until now].


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Not only the world, but we also ·have been waiting with pain inside us [groan within ourselves]. We have the Spirit as the ·first part of God’s promise [firstfruits; as the first crops confirmed the future harvest, so the Spirit’s presence confirms believers’ final salvation]. So we are [eagerly] waiting for ·God to finish making us his own children [our adoption], which means ·our bodies will be made free [the redemption of our bodies].


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We were saved, ·and we have this hope [or …by this hope; in hope]. If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. ·People do not hope [For who hopes…?] for something they already have.


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But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it ·patiently [with perseverance].


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·Also [or In the same way], the Spirit helps us ·with [or in] our weakness. We do not know ·how to pray as we should [or what we ought to pray for]. But the Spirit himself ·speaks to God for us [intercedes] with ·deep feelings [groanings] ·that words cannot explain [or that are inexpressible; or that are unspoken; or too deep for words].


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·God can see what is in people’s hearts and [The one who searches hearts] knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit ·speaks to God [intercedes; appeals] for ·his people [or his holy people; the saints] ·in the way God wants [or in harmony with God; according to God].


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We know that ·in everything God works [or God works everything together; or everything works together (see text note)] for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, ·because that was his plan […according to his purpose].


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·God knew them before he made the world [For those whom he foreknew…], ·and he chose them […he also predestined/chose beforehand] to be ·like [molded to the pattern of; conformed to the image of] his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn [the preeminent one, but also indicating others will follow] of many brothers and sisters [Jesus’ resurrection confirms that his followers will also share in God’s glory].


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And those God ·chose to be like his Son [predestined; chose beforehand], he also called; and those he called, he also ·made right with him [declared righteous; justified]; and those he ·made right [declared righteous; justified], he also glorified [both a past act in Christ, and a future transformation].


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God’s Love in Christ Jesus So what should we say ·about this [in response to these things]? If God is for us, ·no one can defeat us [who is against us?].


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He did not spare his own Son but ·gave him [or delivered him over; to death] for us all. So with Jesus, ·God will surely [how could he not…?] give us all things.


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Who can ·accuse [bring an accusation/charge against] the people God has chosen? No one, because God is the One who ·makes them right [declares them righteous; justifies them].


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Who can ·say God’s people are guilty [condemn; pronounce punishment]? No one, because Christ Jesus died, but he was also raised from the dead, and now he is on God’s right ·side [hand; ], ·appealing to God [interceding; pleading] for us.


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·Can anything [or Who can] separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can ·troubles [trials; tribulations] or ·problems [distress; hardship] or ·sufferings [persecution] or ·hunger [famine] or ·nakedness [destitution] or danger or ·violent death [sword]?


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As it is written in the Scriptures: “For ·you [your sake] we are ·in danger of death [being put to death] all the time. ·People think we are worth no more than [We were considered like] sheep ·to be killed [about to be slaughtered; ].”


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But in all these things we are completely victorious through ·God [or Christ; the One] who showed his love for us.


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Yes, I am ·sure [convinced] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ·ruling spirits [or heavenly rulers; or demons; rulers; principalities], nothing ·now [in the present], nothing in the future, no ·powers [or spiritual powers/authorities],


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·nothing above us [or no powers in the sky], ·nothing below us [or nor powers in the depths], nor ·anything else in the whole world [any created thing] will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


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God and the Jewish People I am telling you the truth ·as a follower of Christ [or with Christ as my witness; in Christ]; I do not lie. My conscience is ·ruled by [or guided by] the Holy Spirit, and it ·tells [testifies to] me I am not lying.


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[For] I would even wish that I were cursed and cut off from ·Christ [or the Messiah] ·if that would help [for the sake of] my Jewish brothers and sisters, my ·people [countrymen; relatives according to the flesh].


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They are the people of Israel, God’s ·chosen [adopted] children. They ·have seen [or have] the glory of God, and they have the ·agreements that God made between himself and his people [covenants]. God gave them the law of Moses and the ·right way of worship [or temple worship] and his promises.


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·They are the descendants of our great ancestors [They have the fathers/patriarchs], and ·they are the earthly family into which Christ was born [or from their descendants the Messiah came], ·who is God over all. Praise him forever [or May God, who is over all, be praised forever]! Amen.


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It is not that ·God failed to keep his promise to them [God’s word failed]. ·But only some of the people of Israel are truly God’s people [Because not all those (descended) from Israel are Israel],


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·and only some of Abraham’s descendants are true children of Abraham [nor are all of Abraham’s seed/descendants (true) children]. But God said to Abraham: “·The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac [or Through Isaac your descendants will carry on your name; ].”


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This means that ·not all of Abraham’s descendants [it is not the children of the flesh who] are God’s true children. [But; Rather] ·Abraham’s true children [Those counted as Abraham’s descendants/seed] are ·those who become God’s children because of the promise God made to Abraham [the children of the promise].


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God’s promise to Abraham was this: “·At the right time [At the appointed time; or About this time next year] I will return, and Sarah will have a son [, ].”


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And that is not all. Rebekah’s sons ·had the same father, [or were conceived at the same time by] our ·father [ancestor; forefather] Isaac.


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But before the two boys were born, God told Rebekah, “The older will serve the younger [].” This was before the boys had done anything good or bad. God said this so that ·the one chosen would be chosen because of God’s own plan [or the plan/purpose God had chosen would continue/prevail]. ·Jacob was chosen [or God’s plan continued] not because of ·anything Jacob did [works], but because ·he was the one God wanted to call [or of the One who called him].


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So what should we say about this? Is God ·unfair [unjust]? ·In no way [Absolutely not!; May it never be!; ].


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[For] God said to Moses, “I will show ·kindness [mercy] to anyone to whom I want to show ·kindness [mercy], and I will show ·compassion [pity] to anyone to whom I want to show ·compassion [pity; ].”


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So God’s choice does not depend on ·what people want [human desire; or human will] or ·try to do [effort; exertion], but on God’s ·mercy [kindness].


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The Scripture says to ·the king of Egypt [Pharaoh]: “I ·made you king [raised you up] for this reason: to show my power in you so that my name will be ·talked about [proclaimed] in all the earth [].”


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So God shows mercy where he wants to show mercy, and he ·makes stubborn [hardens] the people he wants to ·make stubborn [harden].


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So one of you will ask me: “Then why does God ·blame us for our sins [blame; find fault]? Who can ·fight [resist; oppose] his will?”


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·You are only human, and human beings have no right to question God [Who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God?]. ·An object [or A thing molded] should not ask the ·person who made it [molder], “Why did you make me like this? [; ]”


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·The potter can make anything he wants to make [Doesn’t the potter have authority over the clay?]. He can use the same ·clay [lump] to make one ·thing [vessel; pot] for ·special [honorable] use and another thing for ·daily [common; dishonorable] use.


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·It is the same way with God. He [What if he…?] wanted to show his ·anger [wrath] and to let people see his power. But he ·patiently stayed with [endured with great patience] those ·people he was angry with [vessels/objects of wrath]—people who were ·made ready [prepared] to be destroyed.


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He waited with patience so that he could make known ·his rich glory [the riches of his glory] to the ·people who receive his [vessels/objects of] mercy. He has prepared these people ·to have his glory [to experience his glory; for glory],


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and we are those people whom God called. He called us not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles.


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As ·the Scripture [or God] says in Hosea: “I will ·say, ‘You are my people’ [call them ‘my people’] to those who were not my people. And I will ·show my love [call her ‘beloved’] to ·those people [her] I did not love [, ; in Hosea, a reference to apostate Israel; here applied to the Gentiles].”


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“And in the same place where they were called, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God [].’”


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And Isaiah cries out about Israel: “[Though] The ·people [children; sons] of Israel are numbered like the grains of sand ·by [or of] the sea. But only ·a few of them [the remnant] will be saved,


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because the Lord will quickly and completely ·punish the people [carry out/execute his sentence; settle his account] on the earth [].”


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It is as Isaiah said: “If the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Hosts; of Heaven’s Armies] had not ·allowed a few of our descendants to live [left us offspring/seed], We would have become like Sodom and would resemble Gomorrah [; OT cities destroyed by God because of their wickedness; ].”


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·So what does all this mean [What, then, shall we say]? Those who are Gentiles ·were not trying to make themselves right with God [did not pursue righteousness], but they ·were made right with God [obtained righteousness] ·because of their faith [—that is, a righteousness that is by faith].


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The people of Israel tried to ·follow [pursue] a law ·to make themselves right with God [of righteousness]. But they did not ·succeed [reach/attain it],


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[Why?] because they tried to make themselves right by ·the things they did [works] instead of ·trusting in God to make them right [by faith]. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble.


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As it is written in the Scripture: “[Look; Behold] I will put in ·Jerusalem [Zion; a poetic term for Jerusalem and symbolizing the nation Israel] a stone that causes people to stumble, a rock that makes them fall []. Anyone who ·trusts [believes; has faith] in him will never be ·disappointed [put to shame; disgraced; ].”


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Brothers and sisters, the ·thing I want most [pleasure/desire of my heart] and my prayer to God is for ·all the Jews to be saved [their salvation].


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·I can say this about them [For I testify about them that…]: They ·really try to follow God [have a zeal for God], but ·they do not know the right way [their zeal is misguided/uninformed/undiscerning; not according to knowledge].


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Because they ·did not know [or ignored] the ·way that God makes people right with him [righteousness of God], they ·tried to make themselves right in their own way [sought to establish their own righteousness]. So they did not ·accept God’s way of making people right [submit to God’s righteousness].


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[For] Christ ·ended [is the end/culmination/fulfillment of] the law so that everyone who believes in him may ·be right with God [have righteousness].


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[For] Moses writes about ·being made right [the righteousness attained] by following the law. He says, “A person who ·obeys [does] these things will live ·because of [or by means of] them [].”


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But ·this is what the Scripture says about being made right through faith [the righteousness by faith says; righteousness is personified as speaking]: “Don’t say ·to yourself [in your heart; ], ‘Who will ·go up [ascend] into heaven []?’” (That means, “Who will go up to heaven and bring Christ down to earth [a reference to the Incarnation, Christ coming to earth as a human being]?”)


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“And do not say, ‘Who will go down into the ·world below [or depths; or place of the dead; abyss; ; ]?’” (That means, “Who will go down and bring Christ up from the dead?”) [Such impossible tasks are not needed for our salvation, since Christ already did them for us.]


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·This is what the Scripture says [But what does it say?]: “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart [; God’s salvation has been brought near through Christ and is received by faith].” That is the ·teaching [message; word] of faith that we ·are telling [preach; proclaim].


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If you ·declare [confess] with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.


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[For] We believe with our hearts, and so we ·are made right with God [are justified; receive righteousness]. And we ·declare [confess] with our mouths, ·and so we are saved [leading to salvation].


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As the Scripture says, “Anyone who ·trusts [believes] in him will never be ·disappointed [or put to shame; ].”


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·That Scripture says “anyone” because [For] there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles. [For; Because] The same Lord is the Lord of all and gives ·many blessings [generously; (spiritual) riches] to all who trust in him,


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·But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him [How, then, can they call on one in whom they have not believed?]; and ·before they can believe in him, they must hear about him [how can they believe in one of whom they have not heard?]; and ·for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them [how can they hear without someone preaching to them?];


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and ·before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent [how can they preach unless they are sent?]. [As] It is written, “How ·beautiful [or welcome; or timely] ·is the person [are the feet of those] who comes ·to bring [proclaiming; preaching] good news [].”


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But not ·all the Jews [everyone] ·accepted [heeded; obeyed] the good news. [For] Isaiah said, “Lord, who believed ·what we told them [our message/report; ]?”


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·So [Thus; Consequently] faith comes from ·hearing the Good News [hearing], and ·people hear the Good News [hearing comes; or the message/report arrives] ·when someone tells them [through the word/message] ·about [or proclaimed by; of] Christ.


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But I ask: Didn’t ·people [they; Israel] ·hear the Good News [hear]? Yes, they heard—as the Scripture says: “Their ·message [voice] went out to all the earth; their words ·go everywhere on [to the ends of] the world [].”


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Again I ask: Didn’t ·the people of Israel [Israel] understand? Yes, they did understand [this sentence is implied, but not stated, in the Greek]. First, Moses says: “I will use those who are not a nation [the Gentiles] to make you jealous. I will use a nation that ·does not understand [is foolish/senseless] to make you angry [].”


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Then Isaiah is bold enough to say: “I was found by those who were not ·asking me for help [seeking/looking for me]. I ·made myself known [revealed myself] to people who were not ·looking for [asking about/for] me [].”


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But about Israel ·God [or Isaiah; he] says, “All day long I ·stood ready to accept [held out my hands to] people who ·disobey [disbelieve] and are ·stubborn [defiant; rebellious; ].”


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God Shows Mercy to All People So I ask: Did God ·throw out [cast away; reject] his people? ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be; ]! I myself am an Israelite from the ·family [descendants; seed] of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.


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God has not ·thrown out [cast away; rejected] his people, whom he ·chose [or knew] ·long ago [from the beginning; beforehand]. ·Surely you know [Do you not know…?] what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he ·prayed [appealed; complained] to God against the people of Israel.


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“Lord,” he said, “they have killed your prophets, and they have ·destroyed [torn/burned down] your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are ·trying to kill me, too [seeking my life; , ].”


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But what ·answer did God give Elijah [was the divine response]? He said, “But I have ·left [kept for myself] seven thousand ·people [or men] in Israel who have not bowed ·down [the knee] before Baal [].”


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And if he chose them by grace, it is not ·for the things they have done [by works]. If they could be made God’s people by ·what they did [works], God’s gift of grace would ·not really [or no longer] be a gift.


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·So this is what has happened [What follows from this? What then?]: ·The people of Israel [Israel] did not ·succeed in [attain; obtain; find] what they were ·striving [looking; seeking] for, but the ·ones God chose [elect] did ·succeed [attain/obtain/find it]. The ·others [rest] were ·made stubborn and refused to listen to God [hardened].


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As it is written in the Scriptures: “God gave the people a ·dull mind [spirit of stupor/insensitivity] so they could not understand [].” “He ·closed their eyes so they [or gave them eyes that] could not see and ·their ears so they [or gave them ears that] could not hear. This continues until today [].”


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And David says: “Let their ·own feasts [table] ·trap them and cause their ruin [become a snare and a trap], becoming a ·stumbling block [pitfall] and ·paying them back [their retribution].


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Let their eyes be ·closed [darkened] so they cannot see and their backs be ·forever [or continually] ·weak from troubles [bent over; ].”


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So I ask: When ·the Jews [they] fell, did ·that fall destroy them [or they fall beyond recovery]? ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be; ]! But their ·failure [transgression; violation] brought salvation to the Gentiles, in order to make ·the Jews [them] jealous.


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[But if…] Their ·failure [transgression/violation] brought ·rich blessings [riches] for the world, and their ·loss [defeat; failure] brought ·rich blessings [riches] for the Gentiles. ·So surely the world will receive much richer blessings [How much more…!] ·when enough Jews become the kind of people God wants [or when the appointed number of Jews is saved; or when the nation as a whole is restored; at their fullness].


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Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. ·Since [or As long as] I am an apostle to the Gentiles [; ; ], I ·will make the most of [glory in; take pride in; magnify] my ministry.


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·I hope […if somehow] I can make my own ·people [flesh] jealous and, in that way, help some of them to be saved.


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[For] If ·God’s rejection of Israel [their loss/rejection] meant he ·became friends with [was reconciled to] the world, what will Israel’s acceptance mean? It will be like ·bringing the dead back to life [life from the dead].


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If the ·first piece of bread is offered to God [firstfruits are holy; the dough made from the first crops harvested], then the whole ·loaf [batch; lump of dough] is made holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, then the tree’s branches are holy too [since Abraham and the patriarchs were God’s chosen people, so were their Jewish descendants].


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It is as if some of the branches from an olive tree [symbolizing Israel] have been broken off. You Gentiles are like the branch of a wild olive tree that has been ·joined [grafted] to that first tree. You now share the ·strength and life [nourishment; rich/fat root] of the first tree [the Gentiles now share in the rich blessings promised to Israel through their “root,” Abraham and the patriarchs].


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So do not ·brag about [boast over; consider yourselves superior to] those branches that were broken off. If you ·brag [boast], remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.


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[Then] You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I could be ·joined to their tree [grafted in].”


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That is true. But those branches were broken off because they ·did not believe [were unfaithful], and you ·continue to be part of the tree only because you believe [stand by faith]. Do not be ·proud [arrogant], but be ·afraid [in awe].


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·So you see [Notice; Consider] that God is kind and also ·very strict [stern; severe; harsh]. He ·punishes [is strict/severe/harsh toward] those who ·stop following him [have fallen]. But God is kind to you, if you continue ·following in [trusting in; in] his kindness. If you do not, you will also be cut off from the tree.


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And if ·the Jews [they] ·will believe in God again [do not continue in unbelief], ·he will accept them back [they will be grafted in]. [For] God is able to ·put them back where they were [graft them in again].


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[For] If ·you Gentiles [you] were cut off from a wild olive tree and, contrary to nature, ·joined to [grafted into] a ·good [cultivated] olive tree, how much more will these natural branches [Jews presently rejecting the gospel] be ·joined to [grafted into] their own olive tree again.


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I ·want you to understand [do not want you to be ignorant of] this ·secret [mystery; something God had not previously disclosed; ], brothers and sisters, so you will ·understand that you do not know everything [not become conceited/arrogant/superior-minded]: ·Part of Israel has been made stubborn [or A partial hardening has happened to Israel], ·but that will change when [until] the ·complete number [or appointed number; fullness] of the Gentiles have come ·to God [or into the kingdom; in].


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And ·that is how [in this way; or so it will be that; or so in the end] all Israel will be saved. [As; Just as] It is written in the Scriptures: “The ·Savior [Rescuer; Deliverer] will come from ·Jerusalem [Zion; a poetic term for Jerusalem symbolizing the nation Israel]; he will take away ·all evil [wickedness; godlessness] from ·the family of Jacob [Jacob; Abraham’s grandson (renamed “Israel”), whose sons became the twelve tribes of Israel; ].


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·The Jews refuse to accept the Good News, so [With regard to the Gospel,] they are God’s enemies. ·This has happened to help you who are not Jews […for your sake; Israel’s rejection resulted in the proclamation of the Good News to the Gentiles; , ]. But ·the Jews are still God’s chosen people, and he loves them very much [with regard to election, they are beloved] because of ·the promises he made to their ancestors [the ancestors/fathers/patriarchs].


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·God never changes his mind about the people he calls and the things he gives them [For God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable].


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[For] At one time you refused to obey God. But now you have received mercy, because those people refused to obey.


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And now the Jews refuse to obey, ·because God showed mercy to you. But this happened so that they also can receive mercy from him [or but this happened so that they also can receive mercy from him, because of the mercy God showed to you].


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God has ·given [imprisoned] all people ·over to their stubborn ways [to/in disobedience] so that he can show mercy to all.


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Praise to God ·Yes [O], ·how great are [the depth of] ·God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge [or the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge]! ·No one can explain [How unsearchable are…] ·the things God decides [God’s judgments] ·or understand […and untraceable…!] his ·ways [paths].


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As the Scripture says, “[For] Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been ·able to give him advice [his counselor; ]?”


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·Yes, God made all things, and everything continues through him and for him [Because all things come from him, through him and for him]. To him be the glory forever! Amen.


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Give Your Lives to God ·So [Therefore] brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I ·beg [urge; appeal to] you to offer your ·lives [selves; bodies] as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be ·only for God [holy] and pleasing to him, which is the ·spiritual [or authentic; true; or appropriate; fitting; or rational; reasonable] way for you to worship.


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Do not be ·shaped by [conformed to; pressed into a mold by] this ·world [age]; instead be ·changed within [transformed] by ·a new way of thinking [or changing the way you think; the renewing of your mind]. Then you will be able to ·decide [discern; test and approve] what ·God wants for you [is God’s will]; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.


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Because God has given me ·a special gift [his grace], I have something to say to everyone among you. Do not think you are better than you are. [Instead] You must ·decide what you really are [think sensibly; think with sober discernment] ·by [based on; in accordance with] the amount of faith God has given you.


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[For just as] Each one of us has ·a [one] body with many parts, and these parts all have different ·uses [functions].


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In the same way, we are many, but in Christ we are all one body, and each part belongs to all the other ·parts [members].


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We all have different gifts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us. The person who has the gift of prophecy should use that gift ·in agreement with the faith [or in proportion to their faith].


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Whoever has the gift of ·encouraging [exhorting] others should ·encourage [exhort]. Whoever has the gift of giving to others should give ·freely [generously]. Anyone who has the gift of being a leader should ·try hard when he leads [lead diligently/enthusiastically]. Whoever has the gift of showing mercy to others should do so with ·joy [cheerfulness].


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Your love must be ·real [sincere; unhypocritical]. ·Hate [Abhor; Despise] what is evil, and ·hold on [cling] to what is good.


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·Love [Be devoted to] each other ·like brothers and sisters [with family/brotherly affection]. ·Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves [or Outdo one another in showing honor; or Be eager to show honor to one another].


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Do not be ·lazy but work hard [lacking in zeal], serving the Lord with ·all your heart [a fervent/eager/enthusiastic spirit].


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·Be joyful because you have hope [Rejoice in hope]. ·Be patient [Endure] ·when trouble comes [in suffering/tribulation], and pray ·at all times [faithfully; with persistence/perseverance].


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Share with ·God’s people [the saints] who need help. ·Bring strangers in need into your homes [Pursue/Be eager to show hospitality].


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·Wish good for [Bless] those who ·harm [persecute] you; ·wish them well [bless] and do not curse them.


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·Be happy [Rejoice] with those who ·are happy [rejoice], and ·be sad [weep] with those who ·are sad [weep].


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Live in ·peace [harmony] with each other. Do not be ·proud [arrogant; haughty], but ·make friends with those who seem unimportant [associate with the humble/those of low social status; or be willing to do lowly tasks]. Do not think how ·smart [wise; superior] you are.


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·If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him [Repay no one evil for evil]. ·Try to do [or Consider carefully] what ·everyone thinks is right [others view as good/honorable; is good/noble before all people].


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My friends, do not ·try to punish others when they wrong you [take revenge; avenge yourselves], but ·wait for God to punish them with his anger [leave room for (God’s) wrath]. [For] It is written: “·I will punish those who do wrong [Vengeance is mine]; I will repay them [],” says the Lord.


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But you should do this: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. Doing this will be like ·pouring [heaping] burning coals on his head [].”


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Do not let evil ·defeat [conquer; overcome] you, but ·defeat [conquer; overcome] evil by doing good.


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Christians Should Obey the Law All of you must ·yield [obey; submit; be subject] to the government ·rulers [authorities]. [Because; For] ·No one rules [There is no authority] ·unless God has given him the power to rule [except by/through God], and ·no one rules now without that power from God [those that exist are appointed/established by God].


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So those who ·are against the government [rebel/resist the authority] are really ·against [resisting; opposing] what God has ·commanded [ordained; instituted]. And they will bring ·punishment [judgment] on themselves.


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[For] Those who do ·right [good] do not have to fear the rulers; only those who do ·wrong [evil] fear them. Do you want to be unafraid of the ·rulers [authority]? Then do what is ·right [good], and they will ·praise [commend] you.


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The ruler is God’s servant ·to help you [for your good]. But if you do wrong, then be afraid. ·He has the power to punish [For he does not bear the sword in vain]; he is God’s servant ·to punish [an avenger for (God’s) wrath to] those who do wrong.


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So you must ·yield [submit; be subject] to the government, not only because ·you might be punished [of wrath], but because ·you know it is right [of (your) conscience].


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This is also why you pay taxes. [Because] Rulers are ·working for God [God’s servants/ministers] ·and give their time to [devoting themselves to] their work.


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Pay everyone what you owe them: taxes to those you owe taxes, ·fees [tolls] to those you owe ·fees [tolls], ·respect [reverence; fear] to those you owe ·respect [reverence; fear], and honor to those you owe honor.


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Loving Others Do not owe ·people [anyone] anything, except always owe love to each other, because the person who loves others has ·obeyed all [fulfilled] the law.


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[For] The law says, “You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not ·want to take your neighbor’s things [covet; , ; ].” All these commands and all others are really summed up in this one ·rule [command; word]: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself [].”


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Do this ·because you know the times in which we live [knowing the time/season]. It is ·now [or already the] ·time [hour] for you to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.


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The night [a metaphor for the present evil age] is ·almost finished [advancing], and the day [the time of final judgment and reward] is ·almost here [near; or at hand]. So we should ·stop doing [put aside; cast off] ·things that belong to [the deeds/works of] darkness and ·take up the weapons [or put on the armor] ·used for fighting in [or that belong to; of] the light.


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Let us ·live [walk] ·in a right way [properly; decently], like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or get drunk. There should be no ·sexual sins of any kind [sexual immorality or debauchery/sensuality], no ·fighting [strife; quarrels] or jealousy.


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But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and ·forget about satisfying [or give no opportunity to the desires of; or don’t think about ways to gratify] ·your sinful self [the sinful nature; the flesh].


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Do Not Criticize Other People ·Accept into your group [Welcome; Receive] someone who is weak in ·faith [or convictions; on debatable issues], and do not argue about ·opinions [doubtful/debatable issues].


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One person believes it is right to eat all kinds of food. But another, who is weak, believes it is right to eat only vegetables [possibly the issue of whether to keep the OT dietary laws, and/or whether to avoid food sacrificed to idols (see )].


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The one who ·knows that it is right to eat any kind of food [eats; ; see ] must not ·reject [despise; look down on] the one who ·eats only vegetables [does not eat]. And the person who ·eats only vegetables [does not eat] must not ·think that the one who eats all foods is wrong [judge the one who eats], because God has accepted that person.


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·You cannot [Who are you to…?] judge another person’s servant. ·The master decides if the servant is doing well or not [Before his own lord/master he stands or falls]. And the Lord’s servant will ·do well [stand] because the Lord ·helps him do well [can make him stand].


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Some ·think [decide; judge] that one day is more ·important [sacred; holy] than another, and others think that every day is the same [the issue is whether to observe the Jewish Sabbath]. Let all be ·sure [fully convinced] ·in their own mind [according to their convictions/conscience].


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Those who ·think one day is more important than other days [observe the day] are doing that for the Lord. And those who ·eat all kinds of food [eat] are doing that for the Lord, ·and [since; for] they give thanks to God. Others who ·refuse to eat some foods [do not eat] do that for the Lord, and they give thanks to God.


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If we live, we are living for the Lord, and if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord.


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The reason Christ died and ·rose from the dead to live again [lived] was so he would be Lord over both the dead and the living.


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So why do you judge your brothers or sisters in Christ? And why do you ·think you are better than they are [despise/look down on your brother or sister]? [For] We will all stand before ·God to be judged [the judgment seat of God],


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because it is written in the Scriptures: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘·Everyone [Every knee] will bow before me; ·everyone [every tongue] will ·say that I am [confess; acknowledge; or praise] God [].’”


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Do Not Cause Others to Sin For that reason ·we should [or let us] stop judging each other. We must make up our minds not to ·do anything that will make another Christian sin [place a stumbling block or obstacle before a brother or sister].


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·I am in the Lord Jesus, and I know [I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus] that there is ·no food that is wrong to eat [nothing impure/unclean/defiling in itself]. But if a person ·believes [considers; regards] something is ·wrong [impure; unclean; defiling], that thing is ·wrong [impure; unclean; defiling] for him.


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If ·you hurt your brother’s or sister’s faith [your brother or sister is distressed/grieved] because of something you eat, you are ·not really following the way of [no longer walking/living in] love. ·Do not destroy someone’s faith by eating food he thinks is wrong, because Christ died for him [By your eating do not destroy that one for whom Christ died!; so trivial a matter as food must not negate the tremendous sacrifice Christ made].


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Do not allow what you think is good to ·become what others say is evil [be criticized/regarded as evil; be slandered/blasphemed].


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·In the kingdom of God, eating and drinking are not important [For the kingdom of God is not (about) eating and drinking]. The important things are ·living right with God [righteousness], peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.


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Anyone who serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God and will be ·accepted [approved; respected] by other people.


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Do not let the eating of food ·destroy [tear down] the work of God. All foods are ·all right to eat [clean; ritually undefiled], but it is wrong to eat food that causes someone else to ·sin [stumble; fall].


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It is ·better [good] not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that will cause your brother or sister to ·sin [stumble; fall].


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Your beliefs about these things should be kept secret between you and God. ·People are happy [Blessed are those] ·if they can do what they think is right without feeling guilty [who do not condemn themselves concerning issues they have examined and approved].


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But those who eat something ·without being sure it is right [while doubting; with misgivings] are ·wrong [condemned] because they did not believe it was right. Anything that ·is done without believing it is right [or does not come from faith] is sin.


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We who are ·strong in faith [strong] should ·help [bear with; be patient with] the weak with their ·weaknesses [failings; struggles], and not please only ourselves.


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Let each of us please our neighbors for their good, to ·help them be stronger in faith [edify them; build them up].


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[For] Even Christ did not live to please himself. It was as the Scriptures said: “·When people insult you, it hurts me [The insults of those who insulted you have fallen on me; ].”


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[For] Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us ·patience [endurance] and encouragement so that we can have hope.


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May ·the patience and encouragement that come from God [the God of patience and encouragement] ·allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants [or grant you the same attitude with each other that Christ Jesus had].


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·Then […so that] ·you will all be joined together and [together with one voice/mouth] you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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Accept each another, just as Christ accepted you. ·This will bring glory to God [or In this way Christ brought glory to God; …to the glory of God].


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[For] I tell you that Christ became a servant of the ·Jews [circumcised] to ·show [confirm] that God’s promises to the ·Jewish ancestors [patriarchs; fathers] are true.


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And he also did this so that the Gentiles could give glory to God for the mercy he gives to them. [Just as] It is written in the Scriptures: “So I will ·praise [confess] you among the ·Gentiles [nations]. I will sing ·praises [psalms] to your name [].”


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·The Scripture also [And again it] says, “·Be happy [Rejoice; Celebrate], you ·Gentiles [nations], together with his people [].”


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·Again the Scripture says [And again], “All you ·Gentiles [nations], praise the Lord. All you people, sing praises to him [].”


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And [again] Isaiah says, “·A new king will come from the family of Jesse [The root of Jesse will come/sprout; Jesse was the father of King David]. He will ·come [rise up] to rule over the ·Gentiles [nations], and they will ·have hope because of [put their hope in] him [].”


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I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with ·much [all] joy and peace ·while you trust [because you trust; through your faith] in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.


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Paul Talks About His Work My brothers and sisters, I am ·sure [fully convinced] that you are [indeed] full of goodness. I know that you ·have all the knowledge you need [are filled with all knowledge] and that you are able to ·teach [instruct; admonish; warn] each other.


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But I have written to you very ·openly [boldly] about some ·things [points; parts] I wanted you to remember. I did this because ·God gave me this special gift [or of the grace God gave me]:


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to be a ·minister [servant] of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I ·served God [or perform priestly service] ·by teaching his Good News [for the Good News/Gospel of/about God], so that the Gentiles could be an offering that God would accept—an offering ·made holy [sanctified; purified] by the Holy Spirit.


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I will not [dare] talk about anything except what Christ has done through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God. They have obeyed God because of what I have said and done,


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because of the power of ·miracles [signs] and ·the great things they saw [wonders; marvels], ·and because of [or acccomplished through] the power of the Spirit of God. I have ·finished my work of preaching [fulfilled my commission to preach; or fully preached] the ·Good News [Gospel] from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum [a Roman province northwest of Macedonia; modern Albania, Serbia and Montenegro].


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[So; In this way] I always ·want [or try; make it my ambition] to preach the ·Good News [Gospel] in places where ·people have never heard of Christ [Christ has not been named], ·because I do not want [or in order not] to build on the ·work someone else has already started [foundation of others].


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But [as; just as] it is written in the Scriptures: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard about him will understand [].”


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Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome This is the reason I was ·stopped [hindered; or delayed] many times from coming to you.


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[But] Now I have ·finished my work here [no more place (to work) in these regions]. Since for many years I have wanted to come to you,


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I hope to visit you [while passing through] on my way to Spain. After I enjoy being with you for a while, I hope you can ·help [assist; support] me on my trip.


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Now I am going to Jerusalem to ·help [minister to; provide a service for] ·God’s people [the saints].


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The believers in Macedonia [northern Greece] and Achaia [southern Greece] were ·happy [pleased; or resolved] to ·give their money to help [make a contribution to; ; ] the poor among ·God’s people [the saints] at Jerusalem.


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They were ·happy [pleased; or resolved] to do this, and really they ·owe it [are debtors] to them. These Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, so they should use their material ·possessions [or blessings] to ·help the Jews [render service to them].


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[Therefore] After I have completed this collection and ·delivered the money safely to them [sealed this fruit for them; uncertain idiom, likely indicating secure packaging or safe arrival of cargo], I will leave for Spain and stop and visit you.


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I know that when I come to you ·I will bring Christ’s full blessing [or Christ will richly bless our time together; I will come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing].


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Brothers and sisters, I ·beg [urge; encourage] you to ·help [join; strive together with] me in my work by praying to God for me. Do this because of our Lord Jesus and the love ·that the Holy Spirit gives us [of the Spirit].


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Pray that I will be ·saved [rescued; delivered] from the nonbelievers in Judea and that ·this help I bring [my ministry/service] to Jerusalem will ·please [be acceptable to; be well received by] ·God’s people [the saints] there.


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Then, ·if God wants me to [by God’s will], I will come to you with joy, and together you and I will ·have a time of rest [be refreshed].


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Greetings to the Christians I ·recommend [commend] to you our sister Phoebe, who is a ·helper [or servant; or minister; or deacon; ] in the church in Cenchrea [Phoebe may have been the messenger carrying this letter].


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I ask you to ·accept [welcome] her in the Lord in the way ·God’s people should [worthy of the saints]. Help her with anything she needs, because she has ·helped [been a benefactor/patron to] many people, ·including [or especially] me.


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Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila [, , ], ·who work together with me [my coworkers] in Christ Jesus


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and who risked their own ·lives [neck] ·to save [for] my life. I am thankful to them, and [not only I, but] all the Gentile churches are thankful as well.


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Also, greet for me the church that meets at their house. Greetings to my dear friend Epenetus, who was the ·first person in Asia to follow Christ [firstfruit of Asia for Christ].


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Greetings to Andronicus and Junia [Junia is probably a woman’s name, though not certainly], my ·relatives [or fellow Jews], ·who were in prison with me [and fellow prisoners]. They are ·very important [prominent; or well known to/among the] apostles. They were believers in Christ before I was.


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Greetings to Urbanus, a worker together with me for Christ. And greetings to my ·dear [beloved] friend Stachys.


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Greetings to Apelles, ·who was tested and proved that he truly loves Christ [or a proven servant of Christ; approved in Christ]. Greetings to all those who are in the family of Aristobulus.


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Greetings to Herodion, my ·fellow citizen [or fellow Jew; or relative]. Greetings to all those in the family of Narcissus who ·belong to [are in] the Lord.


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Greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, ·women who work very hard for [laborers in] the Lord. Greetings to ·my dear friend [the beloved] Persis, who also has worked very hard ·for [in] the Lord.


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Greetings to Rufus, who is ·a special person [chosen] in the Lord, and to his mother, who has been like a mother to me also.


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Greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and all the brothers and sisters who are with them.


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Greetings to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and to all ·God’s people [the saints] with them.


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Brothers and sisters, I ·ask [urge; encourage] you to look out for those who cause ·divisions [dissension] and who ·upset other people’s faith [create obstacles/stumbling blocks]. ·They [or Such things] are against the true teaching you learned, so stay away from them.


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Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are ·only doing what pleases themselves [serving their own appetites/bellies]. They use ·fancy [smooth] talk and ·fine words [flattery] to ·fool [deceive] the ·minds of those who do not know about evil [hearts of the innocent/naive].


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All the believers have heard ·that you obey [about your obedience/faithfulness], so I ·am very happy [rejoice] because of you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.


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The God ·who brings [of] peace will soon ·defeat Satan and give you power over him [crush Satan under your feet; ]. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.


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Timothy [; ; ], ·a worker together with me [my coworker], sends greetings, as well as Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my ·relatives [or fellow Jews].


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I am Tertius, and I am writing this letter from Paul [Tertius was the scribe, or amanuensis, to whom Paul was dictating the letter]. I send greetings to you in the Lord.


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Gaius [; ] is ·letting me and the whole church here use his home [host to me and to the whole church; churches met in homes at this time]. He also sends greetings to you, as do Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus.


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·Glory to God [Now to the one] who can make you strong in faith ·by [or in accord with] ·the Good News that I tell people [my Gospel] and ·by [or in accord with] the ·message [preaching; proclamation] about Jesus Christ. The message about Christ is the ·secret [mystery; ] that was hidden for long ages past but is now ·made known [revealed; disclosed].


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It has been ·made clear [revealed; disclosed] through the writings of the prophets. And by the command of the eternal God it is ·made known [revealed; disclosed] to all ·nations [Gentiles] ·that they might believe and obey [or for the obedience that follows faith; for the obedience of faith].


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From Paul. ·God called me […called] to be an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus ·because that is what God wanted [by the will of God]. Also from Sosthenes [a coworker; Paul may be dictating the letter to him; see ; perhaps the synagogue leader mentioned in ], our ·brother in Christ [brother].


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To the church of God in Corinth [an important city in southern Greece; Paul started the church on his second missionary journey, around ad 52; ], to you who have been ·made holy [sanctified; dedicated/set apart to God] in Christ Jesus. You were called to be ·God’s holy people [saints] with all people everywhere who pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—·their Lord and ours [theirs and ours]:


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Paul Gives Thanks to God I always thank my God for you because of the ·grace [gift; favor] God has given you in Christ Jesus.


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I thank God because in Christ you have been ·made rich [enriched] in every way, in all your ·speaking [or spiritual gifts of speaking] and in all your ·knowledge [or gifts of spiritual knowledge].


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Just as our ·witness [testimony; message] about Christ has been ·guaranteed to [or confirmed among] you,


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so you ·have every [do not lack any] ·gift from God [spiritual gift; gift] while you wait for the ·return [revelation] of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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·Jesus […who] will keep you strong until the end so that ·there will be no wrong in you [you will be blameless/faultless] on the day ·our Lord Jesus Christ comes again [of our Lord Jesus Christ; the final day of judgment, known in the OT as “the Day of the Lord”].


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God, who has called you into ·fellowship [partnership; relationship] with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.


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Problems in the Church I ·beg [urge; appeal to] you, brothers and sisters, ·by the name [or by the authority; or as followers] of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with each other and not be ·split into groups [divided into factions]. I beg that you be ·completely joined together [fully united; or made complete] by having the same ·kind of thinking [mind] and the same ·purpose [intention; conviction].


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My brothers and sisters, some people from Chloe’s ·family [household; these could be family members, servants, or business agents] have ·told me quite plainly [reported to me] that there are ·quarrels [conflicts; rivalries] among you.


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This is what I mean: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another says, “I follow Apollos”; another says, “I follow ·Peter [Cephas; Peter’s name in Aramaic; ; ; ; ; ]”; and another says, “I follow Christ.”


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·Christ has been divided up into different groups! [or Is Christ divided?] Did Paul die on the cross for you? No! Were you baptized in the name of Paul? No! [“No!” is implied but not stated in the Greek.]


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(I also baptized the ·family [household] of Stephanas, but I do not remember if I baptized anyone else.)


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[For] Christ did not send me to baptize people but to preach the ·Good News [Gospel], and not using ·words of human wisdom [or eloquent language; clever speech] so that the cross of Christ [the message of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross] would not ·lose its power [or become meaningless; be emptied].


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Christ Is God’s Power and Wisdom [For] The ·teaching [message; word] about the cross is ·foolishness [folly] to those who are ·being lost [headed for destruction; perishing], but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.


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[For] It is written in the Scriptures: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; And I will ·reject [thwart; bring to nothing] the ·intelligence [discernment; cleverness] of the ·intelligent [discerning; clever; ].”


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Where is the wise person? Where is the ·educated person [scholar; or scribe; teacher of the law]? Where is the ·skilled talker [orator; debater; philosopher] of this ·world [age]? ·God has [Has not God…?] made the wisdom of the world foolish.


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·In the wisdom of God the world did [or God wisely determined that the world would] not know God through its own wisdom. So God ·chose [was pleased] to use the ·message that sounds foolish [folly/foolishness of what was preached] to save those who believe.


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[For; Since] The Jews ·ask for [demand] ·miracles [signs], and the Greeks ·want [seek; look for] wisdom.


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But we preach ·that Christ was crucified [Christ crucified; or a crucified Messiah]. This ·causes the Jews to stumble [is a stumbling block/offense/obstacle to Jews] and is ·foolishness [folly] to Gentiles.


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But to those people God has called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.


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


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Brothers and sisters, look at what you were when God called you. Not many of you were wise ·in the way the world judges wisdom [by human standards; according to the flesh]. Not many of you ·had great influence [were powerful/strong]. Not many of you ·came from important families [were well-born; were of high social status].


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But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.


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He chose what the world thinks is ·unimportant [insignificant; lowly] and what the world ·looks down on [despises] and thinks is nothing in order to destroy what the world thinks is ·important [something special].


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Because of God you are ·in [united with; in relationship with] Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. ·In Christ we are put right with God, and have been made holy, and have been set free from sin […and became for us righteousness, holiness, and redemption].


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So, as the Scripture says, “If people want to ·brag [boast], they should ·brag [boast] only about the Lord [].”


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The Message of Christ’s Death Dear brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I did not come preaching God’s ·secret [mystery; something God had not previously disclosed; ] with ·fancy [superior; eloquent] words or a show of human wisdom.


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[For] I ·decided [resolved] that while I was with you I would ·forget about everything [not know anything] except Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.


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My ·teaching [message; speech] and preaching were not with words of human wisdom that ·persuade [or entice] people but with ·proof of the power that the Spirit gives [or proof powerfully revealed by the Spirit; or demonstrations of the Spirit and of power].


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God’s Wisdom However, we speak wisdom to those who are mature. But this wisdom is not from this ·world [age] or from the rulers of this ·world [age], who ·are losing their power [will soon disappear; are passing away].


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We speak God’s ·secret wisdom [or wisdom in a mystery; ], which he has kept hidden. Before the ·world began [ages], God ·planned [decreed; destined] this wisdom for our glory.


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None of the rulers of this ·world [age] understood it. If they had, they would not have crucified the ·Lord of glory [glorious Lord].


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But as it is written in the Scriptures: “No ·one [eye] has ever seen this, and no ·one [ear] has ever heard about it. No ·one [human heart] has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him [].”


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But God has ·shown [revealed to] us these things through the Spirit. [For] The Spirit ·searches out [examines; scrutinizes] all things, even the ·deep secrets [deep things; depths] of God.


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Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only a person’s spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts. It is the same with God. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.


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Now we did not receive the spirit of the world, but we received the Spirit that is from God so that we can know all that God has [freely] given us.


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And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom but with words taught us by the Spirit. And so we explain spiritual truths ·to spiritual people [or to those who have the Spirit; or with the Spirit’s words].


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A ·person who does not have the Spirit [or natural person] does not accept the ·truths [things] that come from the Spirit of God. That person thinks they are foolish and cannot understand them, because they can only be ·judged to be true [discerned; assessed] by the Spirit.


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The ·spiritual person [or person with the Spirit] is able to ·judge [discern; assess] all things, but no one can ·judge [discern; assess] him. ·The Scripture says [For]:


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“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been able to ·teach [advise; counsel] him []?” But we have the mind of Christ [the Holy Spirit reveals God and his ways to us; ].


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Following People Is Wrong Brothers and sisters, in the past I could not talk to you as I talk to ·spiritual people [or people who have the Spirit]. I had to talk to you as I would to ·people without the Spirit [unspiritual/carnal/fleshly people]—·babies [infants] in Christ.


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·The teaching I gave you was like milk [I gave you milk to drink], not solid food, because you were not yet able to take solid food [the comparison is between basic and advanced teaching]. And even now you are not ready.


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You are still ·not spiritual [carnal; fleshly; living by your sinful nature], because there is ·jealousy [envy] and ·quarreling [conflict; rivalry] among you, and this shows that you are ·not spiritual [carnal; fleshly; living by your sinful nature]. You are ·acting [living; walking] ·like people of the world [or like ordinary/unsaved people; or on a merely human level; according to man].


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One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” and another says, “I belong to Apollos.” When you say things like this, ·you are [are you not…?] ·acting like people of the world [or living on a merely human level; people; human beings].


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·Is Apollos important? No! [What, then, is Apollos?] ·Is Paul important? No! [And what is Paul?] We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work the Lord gave us to do.


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So the one who plants is not ·important [anything], and the one who waters is not ·important [anything], but only God, who makes things grow.


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The one who plants and the one who waters ·have the same purpose [or are equal; are one], and each will ·be rewarded [receive wages] for his own work.


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We are ·God’s workers, working together [coworkers belonging to God; coworkers in God’s service]; you are God’s ·farm [field], God’s building.


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·Using [or Because of] the ·gift [grace] God gave me, I laid the foundation of that building like an ·expert [skilled; wise] builder. Others are building on that foundation, but ·all people [each one] should be careful how they build on it.


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The foundation that has already been laid is Jesus Christ, and no one can lay down any other foundation.


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But if ·people [anyone; someone] build on that foundation, using gold, silver, ·jewels [precious stones], wood, ·grass [or hay], or straw,


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their work will be ·clearly seen [or shown for what it is], because the ·day of judgment [day] will make it ·visible [clear; obvious]. That day will ·appear [or reveal it; expose it] with fire, and the fire will test everyone’s work to show what sort of work it was.


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If the ·building that has been put on the foundation [work] still stands, the builder will get ·a reward [or wages].


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But if the ·building [work] is burned up, the builder will ·suffer loss [or be fined; or be punished]. The builder will be saved, but it will be as one who escaped ·from a fire [through fire].


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Don’t ·you [you all; the verb is plural] know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you [just as God’s presence filled the tabernacle; ]?


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If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy ·and you are that temple [or and you are holy; which is what you are].


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Do not ·fool [deceive] yourselves. If you think you are wise in this ·world [age], you should become a fool so that you can become truly wise,


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because the wisdom of this world is ·foolishness [folly] with God. [For] It is written in the Scriptures, “He catches those who are wise in their own ·clever traps [craftiness; cunning; ].”


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·It is also written in the Scriptures [And again], “The Lord knows ·what wise people think [the thoughts/reasoning/machinations of the wise]. He knows their thoughts are ·worthless [pointless; useless; futile; ].”


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Paul, Apollos, and ·Peter [Cephas; Peter’s name in Aramaic; see ]; the world, life, death, the present, and the future—all these belong to you.


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Apostles Are Servants of Christ People should think of us as servants of Christ, ·the ones God has trusted with his [and stewards/household managers of God’s] ·secrets [mysteries].


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Now in this way ·those who are trusted with something valuable [stewards; household managers] must ·show they are worthy of that trust [be found faithful].


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As for myself, ·I do not care [or it is of no consequence; it is a minor thing] if I am judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself.


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I know of no wrong I have done, but this does not make me ·right before the Lord [innocent; acquitted; justified]. The Lord is the One who judges me.


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So do not judge before the ·right [appointed] time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light things that are now hidden in darkness, and will make known the secret ·purposes [motives] of people’s hearts. Then God will ·praise [give appropriate commendation to] each one of them.


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Brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself as examples so you could learn through us the meaning of the saying, “·Follow only [Do not go beyond] ·what is written in the Scriptures [or what I have already written to you; what is written].” Then you will not ·be more proud of one person than another [or arrogantly support one person over another].


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[For] Who ·says you are better than others [made you so important; or sees anything different in you]? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you ·brag [boast] as if you did not ·receive it as a gift [receive it]?


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·You think you already have everything you need [Already you have been satisfied/filled up!; the Corinthians believed they had reached a higher spiritual status because of their wisdom]. ·You think you are rich [Already you are rich!]. You ·think you have become kings [have begun to reign…!] without us. I wish you really were ·kings [reigning] so we could ·be kings [reign] together with you.


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But it seems to me that God has put us apostles ·in last place [or on display at the end of the procession], like those sentenced to die [the image is of prisoners of war being led through the city in disgrace, condemned to die in the arena]. We are like a ·show [spectacle; display] for the whole world to see—angels and people.


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We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are very wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You receive honor, but we are ·shamed [disgraced; dishonored].


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Even ·to this very hour [or now] we do not have enough to eat or drink or to wear. We are often beaten, and we have no homes in which to live.


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We work hard with our own hands [Paul earned his own living so as not to burden the church and to avoid accusations of profiting from the Gospel; ]. When people ·curse [insult; revile] us, we bless them. When they ·hurt [persecute] us, we ·put up with it [endure; persevere].


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When they ·tell evil lies about [slander] us, we ·speak nice words about them [answer gently; or humbly appeal; entreat]. Even today, we are treated as though we were the garbage of the world—·the filth of the earth [everyone’s scum/filth; or scum/filth in everyone’s eyes].


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I am not writing this to make you feel ashamed, but to ·warn [admonish; correct] you as my own ·dear [beloved] children.


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For though you may have ten thousand ·teachers [guardians; tutors] in Christ, you do not have many fathers. [For; Because] Through the ·Good News [Gospel] I became your father in Christ Jesus,


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That is why I am sending to you Timothy, my ·dear [beloved] and faithful son in the Lord. He will ·help you remember [remind you about] my way of life in Christ Jesus, just as I teach it in all the churches everywhere.


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But I will come to you very soon if the Lord ·wishes [wills; allows]. Then I will ·know [find out; learn] ·what the proud ones do, not what they say [not just the talk/word of these arrogant people, but also their power],


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Which do you want: that I come to you with ·punishment [a rod] or with love and ·gentleness [or a gentle spirit]?


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Wickedness in the Church It is actually being ·said [reported] that there is sexual sin among you. And it is a kind that ·does not happen [or is not tolerated] even among ·people who do not know God [pagans; Gentiles]. A man there ·has [is living in sin with; is sleeping with] his father’s wife [probably his stepmother; ; ].


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And you are ·proud [arrogant; puffed up]! ·You should [Should you not…?] have been filled with ·sadness [grief; mourning] so that the man who did this should be put out of your group.


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I am not there with you in person, but I am with you in spirit. And I have already ·judged [condemned] the man who did that sin as if I were really there.


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When you meet together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I meet with you in spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus,


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then hand this man over to Satan. So his ·sinful self will be destroyed [sinful nature will be purged; or body/flesh will be destroyed; or body will be beaten down by sin], and his spirit will be saved on the day of the Lord.


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Your ·bragging [boasting] is not good. You know the saying, “Just a little ·yeast [or leaven; leaven is a small lump of fermented dough used to make a loaf rise, as yeast is today] makes the whole batch of dough rise [yeast/leaven symbolizes the permeating influence of this man’s sin within the community; ].”


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·Take out all [Cleanse; Purge] the old ·yeast [leaven] so that you will be a new batch of dough without ·yeast [leaven], which you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed [Christ’s sacrificial death rescued us from spiritual death, just as the blood of the first Passover lambs rescued the children of Israel; ].


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So let us celebrate this feast [a new kind of Passover feast], but not with the bread that has the old ·yeast [leaven]—the ·yeast [leaven] of ·sin [evil; malice] and wickedness [unleavened bread was used in the Passover celebration; ; ]. Let us celebrate this feast with the bread that has no ·yeast [leaven]—the bread of ·goodness [sincerity] and truth.


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But I did not [at all] mean you should not associate with those of this world who sin sexually, or with the greedy, or ·robbers [or swindlers], or those who worship idols. To get away from them you would have to leave this world.


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I am writing to tell you that you must not associate with those who call themselves ·believers in Christ [a brother or sister] but who sin sexually, or are greedy, or worship idols, or ·abuse others with words [slander], or get drunk, or ·cheat [swindle] people. Do not even eat with people like that.


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It is not my business to judge those who are ·not part of the church [outside]. God will judge them. But you must judge the people who are ·part of the church [inside]. The Scripture says, “You must ·get rid of [expel; remove] the evil person among you [; ; , ; ].”


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Judging Problems Among Christians When you have ·something against [a legal dispute with; a grievance against] another Christian, how can you ·bring yourself [dare] to go before ·judges who are not right with God [or the pagan courts; the unrighteous] instead of before ·God’s people [the saints]?


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·Surely [Don’t…?] you know that ·God’s people [the saints] will judge the world. So if you are to judge the world, are you not able to judge ·small [trivial; the smallest of] cases as well?


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·You [Don’t you…?] know that we will judge angels, so surely we can judge the ·ordinary things of [or matters pertaining to] this life.


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If you have ·ordinary cases [cases/legal disputes of this life] that must be judged, ·are you going to appoint people as judges who mean nothing to the church? [will you appoint judges with no standing in/whose lifestyle is rejected by the church?; or go ahead and appoint the least members of the church to judge them! in the latter interpretation, Paul speaks sarcastically.]


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I say this to shame you. ·Surely there is someone [Is there no one…?] among you wise enough to judge a ·complaint [dispute; conflict] between ·believers [a brother].


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But now one ·believer [brother] goes to court against another ·believer [brother]—and you do this in front of unbelievers!


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The fact that you have lawsuits against each other shows that you are already defeated. Why not ·let yourselves be wronged [suffer the injustice]? Why not let yourselves be cheated?


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But you yourselves ·do wrong [act unjustly] and cheat, and you do this to ·other believers [brothers]!


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·Surely [Don’t…?] you know that the ·people who do wrong [unrighteous; wicked; unjust] will not inherit God’s kingdom. Do not be ·fooled [deceived]. Those who sin sexually, worship idols, take part in adultery, those who are ·male prostitutes [or passive homosexual partners], or ·men who have sexual relations with other men [or active homosexual partners], those who steal, are greedy, get drunk, ·lie about others [slander others; use abusive language], or ·rob [swindle]—these people will not inherit God’s kingdom.


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In the past, some of you were like that, but you were washed clean. You were ·made holy [sanctified], and you were ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and ·in [or by; through] the Spirit of our God.


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Use Your Bodies for God’s Glory “·I am allowed to do all things [All things are lawful/permissible for me; probably a slogan the Corinthians were using; see also ; , ; ],” but not all things are ·good for me to do [profitable; beneficial]. “·I am allowed to do all things [All things are lawful/permissible for me],” but I will not let anything make me its slave.


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“Food is for the stomach, and the stomach for food, but God will ·destroy [do away with] them both [probably another Corinthian slogan (), meaning only the spirit matters, not what we do with our physical bodies; Paul disagrees].” The body is not for sexual sin but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.


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·Surely [Don’t…?] you know that your bodies are ·parts [members] of Christ himself. Should I take the ·parts [members] of Christ and join them to a prostitute? ·Never [Absolutely not; May it never be]!


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Don’t you know that anyone who joins with a prostitute [in a sexual relationship] becomes one body with the prostitute? For it is written in the Scriptures, “The two will become one ·body [flesh; ].”


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So ·run away from [flee; stay away from] sexual sin. Every other sin people do is outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies.


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·You should [Don’t you…?] know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you and was given to you by God. So you do not belong to yourselves,


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About Marriage Now ·I will discuss [concerning] the things you wrote me about [in a letter from the Corinthians; see ; ; ]. It is good for a man not to ·have sexual relations with [touch; a euphemism for sex] a woman [probably another slogan (; , ; ) asserting that a celibate lifestyle was spiritually superior].


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But because ·sexual sin is a danger [of sexual temptations; of sexual sins], each man should ·have [or have sexual relations with] his own wife, and each woman should ·have [or have sexual relations with] her own husband.


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The husband should give his wife all that he owes her as his wife [meet her sexual needs]. And the wife should give her husband all that she owes him as her husband [meet his sexual needs].


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The wife does not have ·full rights [authority] over her own body; her husband shares them. And the husband does not have ·full rights [authority] over his own body; his wife shares them [revolutionary teaching in the first century, when wives were generally viewed as the possession of their husbands].


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Do not ·refuse to give your bodies to [refuse sex to; deprive] each other, unless you both agree to stay away from sexual relations for a time so you can ·give your time [devote yourselves] to prayer. Then ·come together again [resume your sexual relationship] so Satan cannot tempt you because of a lack of self-control.


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I say this ·to give you permission to stay away from sexual relations for a time [as a concession/allowance]. It is not a command to do so.


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I wish that everyone were like me [unmarried], but each person has his own gift from God. One has one gift, another has another gift.


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Now for those who are not married and for the widows I say this: It is good for them to stay unmarried as I am.


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But if they cannot ·control themselves [exercise self-control], they should marry. It is better to marry than ·to burn with sexual desire [to burn].


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Now I give this command for the married people. (The command is not from me; it is from the Lord [Jesus taught on divorce; ].) A wife should not ·leave [separate from; or divorce] her husband.


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But if she does ·leave [or divorce], she must not marry again, or she should ·make up [reconcile] with her husband. Also the husband should not ·divorce [or leave] his wife.


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For ·all the others [the rest] I say this (I am saying this, not the Lord [Jesus gave no instruction on this, but Paul still speaks with authority as an apostle]): If a ·Christian man [brother] has a wife who is not a believer, and she is ·happy [content; willing] to live with him, he must not ·divorce [or leave] her.


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And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer, and he is ·happy [content; willing] to live with her, she must not ·divorce [or leave] him.


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The husband who is not a believer is ·made holy [sanctified; touched by holiness] through his believing wife. And the wife who is not a believer is ·made holy [sanctified; touched by holiness] through her believing husband. If this were not true, your children would ·not be clean [be spiritually impure; or be without spiritual influence], but now your children are holy [some Corinthians said an unbeliever defiled a Christian marriage; Paul reverses this and says believers “sanctify” the marriage].


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But if those who are not believers decide to ·leave [or divorce], let them ·leave [or divorce]. When this happens, the ·Christian man [brother] or ·woman [sister] is ·free [not bound; to the marriage covenant]. But God called us to ·live in peace [peace].


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Wife, you don’t know; maybe you will save your husband. And husband, you don’t know; maybe you will save your wife.


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Live as God Called You But in any case each one of you should continue to live ·the way [or in the situation] God has given you to live—the way you were when God called you. This is a ·rule [instruction] I make in all the churches.


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If a man was already circumcised when he was called, he should not undo his circumcision. If a man was without circumcision when he was called, he should not be circumcised.


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·It is not important if a man is circumcised or not [Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing]. The important thing is ·obeying [keeping] God’s commands.


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If you were a slave when God called you, do not let that bother you. But if you can ·be free [gain your freedom], ·then make good use of your freedom [or then take that opportunity; or instead remain and make use of your opportunities as a slave].


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[For] Those who were slaves when the Lord called them are free persons who belong to the Lord. In the same way, those who were free when they were called are now Christ’s slaves.


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Brothers and sisters, each of you should stay as you were when you were called, ·and stay there with God [or with God at your side; with God].


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Questions About Getting Married Now I write about ·people who are not married [or those never married; or betrothed women; virgins]. I have no command from the Lord about this; I give my ·opinion [perspective; judgment]. But I can be trusted, because the Lord has shown me mercy.


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Because ·the present time is a time of trouble [of the present crisis/distress/trouble], I think it is ·good [best] for you to stay the way you are.


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If you ·have a wife [are bound to a wife; or are pledged to a woman], do not try to ·become free from [or divorce] her. If you are not married, do not try to find a wife.


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But if you decide to marry, you have not sinned. And if a ·girl who has never married [or betrothed woman; virgin] decides to marry, she has not sinned. But those who marry will have ·trouble [trials; tribulation] in ·this life [this world; the flesh], and I want ·you to be free [to spare you] from trouble [during times of persecution, those with family obligations suffer the most].


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Brothers and sisters, this is what I mean: ·We do not have much time left [The time is short/limited/coming to an end]. So starting now, those who have wives should live as if they had no wives.


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Those who are ·crying [weeping; mourning] should live as if they were not ·crying [weeping; mourning]. Those who ·are happy [rejoice] should live as if they were not ·happy [rejoicing]. Those who buy things should live as if they ·own [or could keep/hold on to] nothing.


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Those who use ·the things of the world [the world] should live as if they were not ·using [engrossed in; dependent upon] them, because this world in its present form ·will soon be gone [is passing away].


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I want you to be free from ·worry [concern]. A man who is not married is ·busy [concerned] with the Lord’s work, trying to please the Lord.


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He ·must think about two things—pleasing his wife and pleasing the Lord [is divided]. A woman who is not married or a ·girl who has never married [or betrothed woman; virgin] is ·busy [concerned] with the ·Lord’s work [things of the Lord]. She wants to be holy in body and spirit. But a married woman is ·busy [concerned] with things of the world, as to how she can please her husband.


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I am saying this to help you, not to ·limit [restrain] you. But I want you to live ·in the right way [or in a proper/orderly manner; or above criticism], to ·give yourselves fully [be devoted] to the Lord without ·concern for other things [distraction].


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If a man thinks he is ·not doing the right thing with [or acting improperly toward] ·the girl he is engaged to [his virgin; it is possible, but less likely, that the passage concerns a father’s decision to allow his virgin daughter to marry; a third option is that it is about a couple in a “spiritual” (celibate) marriage deciding whether to consummate it], if ·she is almost past the best age to marry [or his passions are too strong; he/she is at the highest point] and ·he feels he should marry her [it ought to be so], he should do what he wants. They should get married. It is no sin.


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But if a man is ·sure [resolved; firm] in his ·mind [conviction; heart] that there is no ·need for marriage [obligation; necessity], and has his own ·desires [or will] under control, and has decided ·not to marry the one to whom he is engaged [to keep her a virgin], he is doing the right thing.


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So the man who marries his ·fiancée [virgin] does right, but the man who does not marry will do better.


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A woman ·must stay with [is bound to] her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry any man she wants, but she must marry ·another believer [in the Lord].


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The woman is ·happier [better off; more blessed] if she ·does not marry again [remains as she is]. This is my ·opinion [perspective; judgment], but I believe I also have God’s Spirit [Paul affirms he is speaking for God].


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About Food Offered to Idols Now ·I will write about [or concerning your question about; concerning; see ; ; ] meat that is sacrificed to idols. We know that “we all have knowledge [probably a slogan used by the Corinthians; see , ; ; ; ].” Knowledge puffs you up with pride, but love builds up.


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So ·this is what I say about [concerning] eating meat sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is really nothing in the world, and we know there is ·only one God [no God but one; , ; these may be other slogans the church was using to justify their behavior; see ].


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Even though there are things called gods, in heaven or on earth (and there are many “gods” and “lords”),


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for us there is only one God—the Father. All things came from him, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord—Jesus Christ. All things were made through him, and we also ·were made [exist; live] through him.


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But not all people know this. Some people are still so used to idols that when they eat meat, they still think of it as being sacrificed to an idol. Because their conscience is weak, when they eat it, ·they feel guilty [their conscience is defiled].


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But food will not ·bring us closer [make us acceptable] to God. Refusing to eat does not make us ·less pleasing to God [any worse; lacking], and eating does not make us ·better in God’s sight [any better; abounding].


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But be careful that ·your freedom [this right/authority of yours] does not ·cause those who are weak in faith to fall into sin [become a stumbling block to the weak].


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Suppose one of you who has knowledge eats in an idol’s temple. Someone who ·is weak in faith [or has a weak conscience] might see you eating there and be ·encouraged [enboldened] to eat meat sacrificed to idols ·while thinking it is wrong to do so [or as a result of his weak conscience].


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This weak ·believer [brother] for whom Christ died is ·ruined [destroyed] because of your “knowledge.”


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When you sin against your brothers and sisters in Christ like this and ·cause them to do what they feel is wrong [wound their weak conscience], you are also sinning against Christ.


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So if the food I eat causes them to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again so that I will not cause any of them to ·sin [stumble; fall into sin].


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Paul Is like the Other Apostles ·I am a free man [Am I not free?]. ·I am [Am I not…?] an apostle. ·I have [Haven’t I…?] seen Jesus our Lord. ·You people are all an example of [Are you not…?] my work in the Lord.


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If others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do, because you are ·proof that I am an apostle [the seal/verification of my apostleship] in the Lord.


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Do we not have the right to eat and drink [receive hospitality and support for their missionary work]?


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Do we not have the right to ·bring a believing wife with us when we travel [or be married to a believer; take along a wife who is a sister] as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers [; ] and ·Peter [Cephas; Peter’s name in Aramaic; see ]?


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Are Barnabas [] and I the only ones who ·must work to earn our living [don’t have the authority/right not to work]?


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·No soldier [Who…?] ever serves in the army and pays his own salary. ·No one [Who…?] ever plants a vineyard without eating some of the grapes. ·No person [Who…?] takes care of a flock without drinking some of the milk.


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I do not say this ·by human authority [from human experience; according to man]; God’s law also says the same thing.


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[For] It is written in the law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox when it is ·working in [treading; threshing] the grain [].” When God said this, was he ·thinking only [concerned] about oxen? No.


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He was ·really [surely] talking ·about us [for our benefit]. Yes, that Scripture was written for us, because it goes on to say: “The one who plows and the one who ·works in the grain [threshes] should hope to get some of the grain for their work.”


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·Since [If] we ·planted [sowed] spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we should harvest material things from you [receive support for ministry]?


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If others have the right to get something from you, surely we have this right, ·too [or even more so]. But we ·do not use it [have not exercised this right]. No, we put up with everything ourselves so that we will not ·keep anyone from believing [put up a hindrance to] the ·Good News [Gospel] of Christ.


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·Surely [Don’t…?] you know that those who ·work at the Temple [perform priestly temple service] get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar get part of what is offered at the altar.


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In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who ·tell the Good News [proclaim/preach the Gospel] should get their living from ·this work [the Gospel].


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But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this now to get anything from you. I would rather die than to have my reason for ·bragging [boasting] taken away.


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·Telling the Good News [Preaching the Gospel] does not give me any reason for ·bragging [boasting]. Telling the Good News is my duty—something I must do. And ·how terrible it will be for [woe to] me if I do not ·tell the Good News [preach the Gospel].


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If I preach ·because it is my own choice [voluntarily], I have a reward. But if I preach ·and it is not my choice to do so [without volunteering], I am ·only doing the duty that was given to me [entrusted with a stewardship/responsibility].


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So what ·reward [payment; wages] do I get? Only this: that when I tell the ·Good News [Gospel] I can offer it ·freely [free of charge]. I do not ·use [take advantage of; or misuse] my full rights in ·my work of preaching the Good News [the Gospel].


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To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews. I myself am not ·ruled by [subject to; under] the law. But to those who are ·ruled by [subject to; under] the law I became like a person who is ·ruled by [subject to; under] the law. I did this to win those who are ·ruled by [subject to; under] the law.


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To those who are without the law [Gentiles] I became like a person who is without the law. I did this to win those people who are without the law. (But really, I am not without God’s law—I am ·ruled by [under] Christ’s law.)


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To those who are weak [in faith; ], I became weak so I could win the weak. I have become all things to all people so I could save some of them in any way possible.


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I do all this because of the ·Good News [Gospel] and so I can ·share in its blessings [or be a participant in it].


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·You [Don’t you…?] know that in a ·race [stadium] all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win!


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All those who compete in the games ·use self-control [train with strict discipline] so they can win a ·crown [victor’s wreath]. That ·crown [victor’s wreath] is ·an earthly thing that lasts only a short time [perishable], but our crown ·will never be destroyed [is imperishable].


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So I do not run ·without a goal [aimlessly]. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air.


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I ·treat my body hard [discipline/subdue/pummel my body] and ·make it my slave [subdue it] so that I myself will not be disqualified after I have preached to others.


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Warnings from Israel’s Past Brothers and sisters, I ·want you to know [don’t want you to be ignorant of] what happened to our ancestors. They were all under the cloud [the Israelites were guided in the wilderness by a cloud, a symbol of God’s presence; ; ] and all went through the sea [the miraculous passage through the Red Sea; ].


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They were all baptized ·as followers of [into] Moses in the cloud and in the sea [just as believers are baptized “into Christ” (), so the Israelites were “baptized” into Moses, their leader-redeemer].


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and all drank the same spiritual drink [the water miraculously provided from a rock; ; ]. They drank from that spiritual rock that followed them [in Jewish tradition, the rock travelled with the Israelites, providing continual refreshment], and that rock was Christ [a type of Christ, who provides spiritual sustenance].


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But God was not pleased with most of them, so they ·died [or were struck down; or (their bodies) were scattered] in the desert [as judgment for unbelief and refusing to enter the Promised Land; ].


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And these things happened as examples for us, to stop us from ·wanting [desiring; craving] evil things as those people did.


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Do not worship idols, as some of them did. Just as it is written in the Scriptures: “The people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up and ·sinned sexually [played; a euphemism for immoral revelry; ].”


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We must not take part in sexual sins, as some of them did. In one day twenty-three thousand of them ·died because of their sins [fell; ].


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Do not ·complain [grumble] as some of them did; they were killed by the ·angel that destroys [destroyer; ; ].


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The things that happened to those people are examples. They were written down to ·teach [instruct; warn] us ·who live in the final days of this age [for whom the end/climax/culmination of the ages has come].


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The only ·temptation [or trials] that has come to you is ·that which everyone has [(common to) human life]. But ·you can trust God [God is faithful], who will not permit you to be tempted more than you can stand. But when you are tempted, he will also give you a way to escape so that you will be able to ·stand [endure] it.


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I am speaking to you as to ·reasonable [sensible; discerning] people; ·judge [consider] for yourselves what I say.


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We give thanks for the cup of blessing [used in the Lord’s Supper], ·which is [is this not…?] a ·sharing [participation; fellowship] in the blood of Christ. And the bread that we break ·is [is it not…?] a ·sharing [participation; fellowship] in the body of Christ.


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Because there is one loaf of bread, we who are many are one body, because we all share that one loaf.


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Think about ·the Israelites [Israel according to the flesh]: Do not those who eat the sacrifices ·share [participate] in the altar [by eating the sacrificial food, priests in the Jerusalem temple participate in the worship of God]?


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·I do not mean [What, then, am I saying…?] that the food sacrificed to an idol is important or that an idol is anything at all.


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But I say that what is sacrificed to idols is offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to ·share anything [be participants; share fellowship] with demons.


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You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons also. You cannot ·share in [partake of] the Lord’s table and the table of demons.


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How to Use Christian Freedom “·We are allowed to do all things [All things are lawful/permissible],” but not all things are ·good for us to do [profitable; beneficial]. “·We are allowed to do all things [All things are lawful/permissible],” but not all things ·help others grow stronger [build up; the quotations were probably slogans the Corinthians used; , ; ; , ].


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Eat any meat that is sold in the meat market. Do not ask questions ·about it [for conscience’s sake].


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You may eat it, “because the earth belongs to the Lord, and ·everything in it [its fullness/abundance/bounty; ; ; ].”


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Those who are not believers may invite you to eat with them. If you want to go, eat anything that is put before you. Do not ask questions ·about it [for conscience’s sake].


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But if anyone says to you, “That food was offered to idols,” do not eat it. Do not eat it because of that person who told you and ·because eating it might be thought to be wrong [for conscience’s sake].


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I don’t mean ·you think it is wrong [your conscience], but the ·other person might [the concience of the other person]. ·But why, you ask, [or For why] should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience?


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If I eat the meal with thankfulness, why am I criticized because of something for which I thank God?


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·The answer is [or Therefore; In summary], if you eat or drink, or if you do anything, do it all for the glory of God.


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just as I, also, try to please everybody in every way. I am not trying to do what is ·good [advantageous] for me but what is ·good [advantageous] for most people so they can be saved.


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Being Under Authority I praise you because you ·remember me in everything [are always thinking of me], and you follow closely the ·teachings [traditions] just as I ·gave them [passed them on] to you.


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But I want you to understand this: The head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is ·the man [or her husband], and the head of Christ is God.


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Every man who prays or prophesies ·with his head covered [or with long hair; having down the head; most scholars think the passage concerns head coverings; others long or short hair (see )] brings shame to his head [meaning shame to Christ, who is the head of the man; ].


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But every woman who prays or prophesies with ·her head uncovered [or no covering (of hair); ] brings shame to her head. She is the same as a woman who has her head shaved.


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If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But since it is shameful for a woman to cut off her hair or to shave her head, she should cover her head.


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But a man should not cover his head, because he is the likeness and glory of God. But woman is man’s glory [God’s glory should be unveiled (revealed), while human glory should be veiled].


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So that is why a woman should have a ·symbol of authority on [or authority over] her head, because of the angels [the significance of the angels is unclear; perhaps their presence at worship calls for reverence and propriety].


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This is true because woman came from man, but also man is born from woman. But everything comes from God.


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·Decide [Judge] this for yourselves: Is it ·right [fitting; proper] for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?


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·Even [Does not…?] ·nature [or custom; culture] itself teaches you that wearing long hair is shameful for a man [Greco-Roman men normally wore their hair short].


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·Some people [If anyone] may still want to argue about this, but I would add that neither we nor the churches of God have any other ·practice [custom].


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The Lord’s Supper In the ·things [instructions; commands] I tell you now I do not praise you, because ·when you come together you [your meetings as a congregation] do more harm than good.


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First, I hear that when you meet together as a church ·you are divided [there are divisions among you], and I believe some of this.


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(It is necessary to have ·differences [factions] among you so that it may be clear which of you really have God’s approval [controversy is necesssary because error must be opposed].)


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When you ·come together [meet as a congregation], you are not really eating the Lord’s Supper [the worship meal Jesus told his followers to celebrate to remember his death; ].


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This is because when you eat, each person eats without waiting for the others [the wealthy church members were arriving early to avoid sharing with the poorer members; such social distinctions were common throughout the Greco-Roman world]. Some people do not get enough to eat, while others ·have too much to drink [get drunk].


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Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you ·despise [have contempt for; have no regard for] God’s church and so ·embarrass [humiliate] those who ·are poor [have nothing]? What should I tell you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for doing this [the Corinthians were turning a time meant for unity into one of discrimination].


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[For] The teaching I ·gave [passed on to] you is the same teaching I received from the Lord: On the night when the Lord Jesus was ·handed over to be killed [betrayed], he took bread


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and gave thanks for it. Then he broke the bread and said, “This is my body; it is for you. Do this to remember me.”


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In the same way, after ·they ate [the meal; supper], Jesus took the cup. He said, “This cup is the new ·agreement [covenant; ; ] ·that is sealed with the blood of my death [in my blood]. When you drink this, do it to remember me [; ; , ].”


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[For] Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you ·are telling others about [proclaim; announce] the Lord’s death until he comes.


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So a person who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in ·a way that is not worthy of it [or an inappropriate manner] will be ·guilty of sinning against [or held responsible for; liable for; guilty of] the body and the blood of the Lord.


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·Look into your own hearts [Let a person examine himself] before you eat the bread and drink the cup,


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because all who eat the bread and drink the cup without ·recognizing [discerning; careful regard for] the body eat and drink judgment against themselves.


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That is why many in your group are sick and weak, and ·some [a number] of you have ·died [fallen asleep; a euphemism for death].


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But if we ·judged ourselves in the right way [evaluated/examined ourselves], ·God would not judge us [we would not be judged/punished].


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But when the Lord judges us, he disciplines us so that we will not be ·destroyed [condemned] along with the world.


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So my brothers and sisters, when you ·come together [gather as a congregation] to eat, wait for each other.


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Anyone who is too hungry should eat at home so that in meeting together you will not bring God’s judgment on yourselves. I will tell you what to do about ·the other things [additional matters] when I come.


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Gifts from the Holy Spirit Now, brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to ·misunderstand [be uninformed] ·about [concerning; or in regard to your question about; see ; ; ] spiritual gifts.


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You know the way you lived ·before you were believers [when you were pagans/Gentiles]. You let yourselves be influenced and led away to worship idols—things that could not speak.


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So I want you to understand that no one who is speaking ·with the help of [by means of; in the power of] God’s Spirit says, “Jesus be cursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” ·without the help of [except by means of/in the power of] the Holy Spirit.


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And there are different ·ways that God works through people [kinds of action; activities] but the same God works ·in all of us in everything we do [all things in all people].


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·Something from the Spirit can be seen in [The manifestation/disclosure of the Spirit is given to] each person, for the common good.


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The Spirit gives one person the ·ability to speak with wisdom [message/word of wisdom], and the same Spirit gives another the ·ability to speak with knowledge [message/word of knowledge].


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The Spirit gives to another person ·the power to do miracles [works of power], to another ·the ability to prophesy [prophecy]. And he gives to another the ·ability to know the difference between good and evil [discernment/distinguishing of] spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of ·languages [or ecstatic utterance; tongues] and to another the ·ability to interpret those languages [interpretation of tongues].


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One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things, and the Spirit ·decides what to give [distributes just as he wishes to] each person.


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The Body of Christ Works Together A person’s body is ·one thing [a unity; one], but it has many parts. Though there are many parts to a body, all those parts make only one body. Christ is like that also.


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Some of us are Jews, and some are Greeks. Some of us are slaves, and some are free. But we were all baptized into one body ·through [by; in] one Spirit. And we were all made to ·share in [drink of] the one Spirit.


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The foot might say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body.


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The ear might say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body.” But saying this would not stop the ear from being a part of the body.


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If the whole body were an eye, ·it would not be able to [how would it…?] hear. If the whole body were an ear, ·it would not be able to [how would it…?] smell.


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If each part of the body were the same part, ·there would be no body [where would the body be?]. But truly God put all the parts, each one of them, in the body as he wanted them.


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The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you!”


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·No! [On the contrary,] Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are ·really necessary [essential; indispensable].


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And the parts of the body we think are less ·deserving [honorable] are the parts to which we give ·the most [special; greater] honor. We ·give special respect to [or treat with special modesty] the parts ·we want to hide [that are shameful/unpresentable].


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The more ·respectable [presentable] parts of our body need no special care. But God put the body together and gave ·more [special] honor to the parts that need it


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so ·our body would not be divided [or there would be no division in the body]. God wanted the different parts to care the same for each other.


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If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is ·honored [glorified], all the other parts ·share its honor [rejoice with it].


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·Together you [You; the Greek is plural] are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of that body.


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In the church God has ·given a place first to [appointed/placed first] apostles, second to prophets, and third to teachers, then those who do ·miracles [acts of powers], those who have gifts of healing, those who can help others, those who are able to ·govern [lead], and those who can speak ·in different languages [or with ecstatic utterance; different kinds of tongues; ].


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·Not all are apostles [Not all are apostles, are they? are all rhetorical questions assuming a negative answer]. Not all are prophets. Not all are teachers. Not all do miracles.


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Not all have gifts of healing. Not all speak ·in different languages [or with ecstatic utterance; in tongues]. Not all interpret those ·languages [tongues].


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But ·you should truly want to have [eagerly desire; be zealous for] the greater gifts. And now I will show you ·the best way of all [a better/superior way].


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Love Is the Greatest Gift I may speak in ·different languages [tongues; , , ] of people or even angels. But if I do not have love, I am only a ·noisy [resounding] ·bell [gong] or a ·crashing [clanging] cymbal.


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I may have the gift of prophecy. I may understand all ·the secret things of God [mysteries] and have all knowledge, and I may have faith so great I can move mountains. But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing.


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I may give away everything I have, and I may even give my body ·as an offering to be burned [to be burned]. But I gain nothing if I do not have love.


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Love is patient and kind. Love is not ·jealous [envious], it does not brag, and it is not ·proud [arrogant; conceited; puffed up].


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Love is not ·rude [disrespectful], is not ·selfish [self-serving], and ·does not get upset with others [is not easily provoked/angered]. Love does not ·count up [keep a record of] wrongs that have been done.


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Love ·takes no pleasure [does not rejoice] in ·evil [wrongdoing; injustice] but rejoices over the truth.


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Love ·patiently accepts all things [bears all things; or always protects], ·always trusts [believes all things], ·always hopes [hopes all things], and ·always endures [endures all things].


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Love never ·ends [fails; falls short]. There are gifts of prophecy, but they will ·be ended [cease; pass away]. There are gifts of ·speaking in different languages [or ecstatic utterance; tongues], but those gifts will ·stop [cease; fall silent]. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will ·come to an end [pass away; be set aside].


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·The reason is that [For] ·our knowledge and our ability to prophesy are not perfect [we know in part/imperfectly and we prophesy in part/incompletely].


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But when ·perfection [the perfect; completeness; wholeness] comes, the ·things that are not perfect [partial] will ·end [pass away; be set aside].


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When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I ·stopped [set aside] those childish ways.


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·It is the same with us [For…]. Now we see ·a dim reflection [obscurely; or indirectly], ·as if we were looking into a mirror [through a glass darkly], but then we shall see ·clearly [face to face]. Now I know only a part, but then I will know fully, as ·God has known me [I am fully known].


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So these three things ·continue forever [endure; remain]: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.


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Desire Spiritual Gifts ·You should seek after [Pursue; Make your aim] love, and ·you should truly want to have [eagerly desire; be zealous for] the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.


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·I will explain why. [For] Those who ·have the gift of speaking in different languages [or speak with ecstatic utterance; speak in a tongue; , , ; ] are not speaking to people; they are speaking to God. No one understands them; they are speaking ·secret things [mysteries] ·through [by; in; with] the Spirit.


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But those who prophesy are speaking to people ·to give them strength [for edification/upbuilding], encouragement, and ·comfort [consolation].


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The ones who speak in different languages are ·helping [edifying; building up] only themselves, but those who prophesy are ·helping [edifying; building up] the whole church.


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I wish all of you ·had the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages [spoke in tongues; ], but more, I wish you would prophesy. Those who prophesy are greater than those who ·can only speak in different languages [speak in tongues; ]—unless someone ·is there who can explain what is said [interprets (the tongues)] so that the whole church can be ·helped [edified; built up].


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Brothers and sisters, how will it help you if I come to you speaking in ·different languages [tongues; ], unless I bring you a ·new truth [revelation] or ·some new knowledge [knowledge], or prophecy, or teaching?


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It is the same as with lifeless things that make sounds—like a flute or a harp. If they do not make ·clear [distinct] musical notes, ·you will not [how will you…?] know what is being played.


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It is the same with you. Unless you speak ·clearly [intelligible words] with your tongue, ·no one can [how will anyone…?] understand what you are saying. You will be talking into the air!


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But unless I understand the meaning of what someone says to me, we will be like ·foreigners [barbarians] to each other.


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It is the same with you. Since you ·eagerly desire [are zealous for] ·spiritual gifts [or manifestations of the Spirit], seek ·most of all to have [to excel in] the gifts that ·help the church grow stronger [build up/edify the church].


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[Therefore] The one who has the gift of ·speaking in a different language [or ecstatic utterance; tongues] should pray for the gift to interpret what is spoken.


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If I pray ·in a different language [or with ecstatic utterance; in a tongue], my spirit is praying, but my mind ·does nothing [is unfruitful].


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So what should I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind. I will ·sing [sing praises/psalms] with my spirit, but I will also ·sing [sing praises/psalms] with my mind.


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[Otherwise] If you ·praise God [or pronounce a blessing] with your spirit, those persons there ·without understanding [or without the gift; or who are inquirers/seekers; , ] cannot say “Amen” [from a Hebrew term meaning “it is true”; ] to your prayer of thanks, because they do not know what you are saying.


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You may be thanking God ·in a good way [well enough], but the other person is not ·helped [edified; built up].


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I thank God that I speak ·in different kinds of languages [or with ecstatic utterance; in tongues] more than all of you.


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But in the church meetings I would rather speak five words ·I understand [with my mind] in order to teach others than thousands of words ·in a different language [or with ecstatic utterance; in a tongue].


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Brothers and sisters, do not think like children. In evil things be like ·babies [infants], but in your thinking you should be ·like adults [mature; grown-up].


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It is written in the ·Scriptures [Law; referring here to all of Scripture]: “With people who use ·strange words [different tongues/languages] and ·foreign languages [different lips] I will speak to these people. But even then they will not ·listen to [or obey] me [; see also ],” says the Lord. [Israel didn’t listen when God used foreign-speaking Assyrians to punish them; similarly people won’t benefit from hearing tongues they don’t understand.]


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So ·the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages [or ecstatic utterance; tongues] is a sign for unbelievers, not for believers [tongues served as a warning of judgment and a call to repentance; see , , ]. And prophecy is for believers, not for unbelievers.


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Suppose the whole church meets together and everyone speaks in ·different languages [tongues]. If some people come in who ·do not understand [or are inquirers/seekers; ] or are unbelievers, they will say you are ·crazy [insane; unintelligible tongues sound like babbling].


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But suppose everyone is prophesying and unbelievers or ·those who does not understand [or inquirers/seekers] come in. If everyone is prophesying, ·their sin will be shown to them [they will be convicted by all], and they will be judged by ·all that they hear [all].


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The secret things in their hearts will be made known. So they will ·bow down [fall face down] and worship God saying, “Truly, God is ·with you [among you; in your midst].” [Though prophecy is for believers (), it also convicts unbelievers better than uninterpreted (and so incoherent) tongues (see ), since it is a coherent message from God.]


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Meetings Should Help the Church So, brothers and sisters, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a ·song [psalm; hymn], and another has a teaching. Another has a ·new truth from God [revelation]. Another speaks ·in a different language [or with ecstatic utterance; tongue], and another person ·interprets that language [an interpretation]. The purpose of all these things should be ·to help the church grow strong [for edification/building up].


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When you meet together, if anyone speaks ·in a different language [or with ecstatic utterance; in a tongue], it should be only two, or not more than three, who speak. They should speak one after the other, and someone should interpret.


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But if there is no interpreter, then they should ·be quiet [remain silent] in the church meeting. They should speak only to themselves and to God.


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Only two or three prophets should speak, and the others should ·judge [evaluate; consider; weigh] what they say.


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If a ·message from God [revelation] comes to another person who is sitting, the first speaker should stop.


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[For] You can all prophesy one after the other. In this way all the people can be taught and encouraged.


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The spirits of prophets are ·under the control of [subject to] the prophets themselves [unlike in pagan religions, where a spirit would seize control of a speaker, causing frenzy, mania or ecstasy].


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[For] God is not a God of ·confusion [disorder] but a God of peace. As is true in all the ·churches [assemblies] of ·God’s people [the saints; some commentators take this clause as part of the previous sentence],


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·women [or wives] should keep quiet in the ·church meetings [churches; assemblies; the context here may be the evaluation of prophecy (), rather than general worship (where women presumably could speak; see )]. [For] They are not allowed to speak, but they must ·yield to this rule [or be in submission; or keep their ordered place] as the law says [perhaps , or a nonbiblical Jewish tradition].


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If they want to ·learn something [or ask questions], they should ask their own husbands at home. It is ·shameful [disgraceful; improper] for a woman to speak in ·the church meeting [the assembly; church].


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Did ·God’s teaching [the word of God] ·come from [originate with] you? Or are you the only ones to whom it has come? [Apparently, some women were being disruptive during meetings.]


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Those who think they are prophets or spiritual persons should ·understand [or acknowledge] that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.


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So my brothers and sisters, you should ·truly want [be eager] to prophesy. And do not ·stop people from using the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages [forbid/hinder speaking in tongues].


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The Good News About Christ Now, brothers and sisters, I want you to ·remember [or be clear about] the ·Good News [Gospel] I brought to you. You received this ·Good News [Gospel] ·and continue strong in it [or and have based your faith on it; in which you stand].


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And you are being saved by it if you ·continue believing [hold firm to] ·what I told you [the Gospel message I proclaimed to you], unless you believed ·for nothing [in vain; or superficially; or in something of no value].


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[For] I passed on to you what I received, which is ·of greatest importance [or the first thing I told you]: that Christ died for our sins, ·as the Scriptures say [according to the Scripture; ];


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that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day ·as the Scriptures say [according to the Scripture; ];


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and that he was seen by ·Peter [Cephas; Peter’s name in Aramaic; see ] and then by ·the twelve apostles [the Twelve; ].


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After that, Jesus was seen by more than five hundred of the ·believers [brothers (and sisters)] at the same time. Most of them ·are still living today [remain until now], but some have ·died [fallen asleep; a euphemism for death].


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Last of all he was seen by me []—as by a person ·not born at the normal time [prematurely/abnormally born; Christ’s appearance to Paul was unique, occurring after Jesus’ ascension].


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For I am the least of the apostles. I am not even ·good enough [worthy] to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.


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But God’s grace has made me what I am, and his grace to me was not ·wasted [in vain; without effect]. [On the contrary; Indeed] I worked harder than all ·the other apostles [of them]. (But it was not I really; it was God’s grace that was with me.)


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So whether I preached to you or ·the other apostles [they] preached to you, ·we all preach the same thing [this is what we preach; the message of Christ’s death and resurrection; ], and this is what you believed.


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We Will Be Raised from the Dead Now ·since we preached that Christ was [if Christ is preached as] raised from the dead, why do some of you say that people will not be raised from the dead [some Corinthians denied the resurrection of the body]?


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If ·no one is ever raised [there is no resurrection] from the dead, then Christ has not been raised.


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And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is ·worth nothing [futile; useless; empty], and your faith is ·worth nothing [futile; useless; empty].


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And also, we are ·guilty of lying [found to be false witnesses] about God, because we testified ·of him [against God] that he raised Christ from the dead. But if people are not raised from the dead, then God never raised Christ.


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And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith ·has nothing to it [is futile/useless/empty]; you are still ·guilty of [or a slave to; in] your sins.


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·And [Consequently; Therefore] those in Christ who have ·already died [fallen asleep; ] ·are lost [have perished].


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If our hope in Christ is for this life only, we should be pitied more than ·anyone else in the world [all people].


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But Christ has truly been raised from the dead—the ·first one and proof that those who sleep in death will also be raised [firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep; unlike others who had been raised to mortal life, Christ was the first to be raised to everlasting life].


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Death has come ·because of what one man did [through a man/human being], but the rising from death also comes ·because of one man [through a man/human being].


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But ·everyone [each] will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was ·first to be raised [the firstfruits]. When Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life,


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and then the end will come. At that time Christ will ·destroy [abolish] all rulers, authorities, and powers, and he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father.


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·The Scripture says that God put [For he has subjected] all things under his ·control [feet; ]. When it says “all things” are ·under [subjected to] him, it is clear this does not include the One [God the father] who put everything under his control.


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After everything has been ·put under [subjected to] the Son, then he will ·put himself under [be subjected to] ·God [the One…], who had put all things under him. ·Then [or …so that] God will be ·the complete ruler over everything [or supreme in every place and in every way; all in all].


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If the dead are never raised, what will people do who are being baptized for the dead [it is unclear what this practice was or whether Paul approves or disapproves]? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people being baptized for them?


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I ·die [face death] every day. ·That is true, brothers and sisters, just as it is true that I brag about you [(I swear) by my boasting in you, brothers (and sisters), which I have] in Christ Jesus our Lord.


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If I fought wild animals in Ephesus [probably a metaphor for human opponents, though possibly beasts in the arena (; ; )] ·only with human hopes [or from a human point of view; according to man], I have gained nothing. If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we will die [; ].”


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Do not be ·fooled [deceived; misled]: “Bad ·friends [company] will ruin good ·habits [or character; morals; a quote from the Greek poet Menander (c. 342–291 bc)].”


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·Come back to your right way of thinking [Come to your senses; or Sober up as you should] and stop sinning. Some of you ·do not know [or are ignorant about] God—I say this to shame you.


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What Kind of Body Will We Have? But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have?”


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Foolish person! When you sow a seed, it must die in the ground before it can ·live and grow [come to life].


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And when you sow it, it does not have the same “body” it will have later. [But; On the contrary] What you sow is only a bare seed, maybe wheat or something else.


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But God gives it a body that he ·has planned [wants; has chosen] for it, and God gives each kind of seed its own body.


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All things made of flesh are not the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds have another, and fish have another.


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Also there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the ·beauty [splendor; glory] of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the ·beauty [splendor; glory] of the earthly bodies is another.


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The sun has one kind of ·beauty [splendor; glory], the moon has another ·beauty [splendor; glory], and the stars have another. And each star is different in its ·beauty [splendor; glory].


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It is the same with the dead who are raised to life. ·The body that is “planted” will ruin and decay [It is sown/buried in corruption], but it is raised ·to a life that cannot be destroyed [imperishable; in incorruption].


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·When the body is “planted,” it is without honor [It is sown/buried in dishonor], but it is raised in glory. ·When the body is “planted,” it is weak [It is sown/buried in weakness], but ·when it is raised, it is powerful [it is raised in power].


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·The body that is “planted” is a physical body [It is sown/buried a natural/physical/soulish body]. ·When it is raised, it is [It is raised] a spiritual body. There is a ·physical [natural; soulish] body, and there is also a spiritual body.


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[So also] It is written in the Scriptures: “The first man, Adam, became a living ·person [soul; ].” But the last Adam [Christ] became a spirit that gives life.


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[But] The spiritual did not come first, but the ·physical [natural; soulish] and then the spiritual.


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People who ·belong to the earth [or are of dust] are like the first man of ·earth [dust]. But those people who belong to heaven are like the man of heaven.


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Just as we ·were made like [have borne the image of] the man of earth, so we will also ·be made like [bear the image of] the man of heaven.


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I tell you this, brothers and sisters: Flesh and blood cannot ·have a part in [inherit] the kingdom of God. ·Something that will ruin cannot […nor can the perishable/corruptible] ·have a part in something that never ruins [inherit the imperishable/incorruptible].


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But look! I tell you ·this secret [a mystery; ]: We will not all ·sleep in death [sleep; a euphemism for death], but we will all be changed.


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It will ·take only a second [happen in a flash]—as quickly as an eye ·blinks [or twinkles]—when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound, and those who have died will be raised ·to live forever [imperishable; incorruptible], and we will be changed [].


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[For] This body that ·can be destroyed [is perishable/corruptible] must clothe itself with ·something that can never be destroyed [the imperishable/incorruptible]. And this ·body that dies [mortal] must clothe itself with ·something that can never die [immortality].


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So when this body that ·can be destroyed [is perishable/corruptible] will clothe itself with that which ·can never be destroyed [is imperishable/incorruptible], and this ·body that dies [mortal] will clothe itself with ·that which can never die [immortality], then this Scripture will ·be made true [come to pass]: “Death is ·destroyed forever [swallowed up] in victory [].”


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So my ·dear [beloved] brothers and sisters, stand strong. Do not let anything move you. Always ·give yourselves fully to [excel in] the work of the Lord, because you know that your work in the Lord is ·never wasted [not useless/in vain].


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The Gift for Other Believers Now ·I will write about [or concerning your question about; concerning; ; ; ] the collection of money for ·God’s people [the saints; ; ]. Do the same thing I told the Galatian churches to do [Galatia was a Roman province in present-day central Turkey where Paul started churches on his first missionary journey ()]:


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On the first day of every week [Sunday], each one of you should put aside money ·as you have been blessed [or what you can afford; whatever one prospers]. Save it up so you will not have to collect money after I come.


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When I arrive, I will send ·with letters of introduction whomever you approve [or whomever you authorize with your letters] to take your gift to Jerusalem.


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And if it seems ·good [appropriate; advisable; or worthwhile] for me to go also, they will go along with me.


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Paul’s Plans I will come to you after I go through Macedonia—for I am planning to go through Macedonia [the northern part of present-day Greece; ; , ; ].


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Perhaps I will stay with you for a time or even all winter. Then you can help me on my trip, wherever I go.


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[For] I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to stay a longer time with you if the Lord allows it.


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But I will stay at Ephesus [a prominent city in the Roman province of Asia, present-day western Turkey; ] until Pentecost [the Jewish festival held on the fiftieth day after Passover (late spring)],


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because a ·good opportunity for a great and growing work has been given [great and effective door (of opportunity) has opened up] to me now. And there are many ·people working against me [opponents; adversaries].


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If Timothy comes to you, see to it that ·he has nothing to fear with you [or you put him at ease; you don’t intimidate him], because he is working for the Lord just as I am.


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So none of you should treat Timothy ·as unimportant [or with contempt], but ·help [send] him on his trip in peace so that he can come back to me. I am expecting him to come with the ·brothers [other believers].


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Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly encouraged him to visit you with the other brothers. He did not at all want to come now; he will come when he has the opportunity.


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Paul Ends His Letter Be ·alert [watchful; on your guard]. ·Continue strong [Stand firm] in the faith. ·Have courage [or Act like men (ready for battle)], and be strong.


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You know that the ·family [household] of Stephanas were the ·first believers in [firstfruits of] Achaia [southern Greece] and that they have given themselves to the service of ·God’s people [the saints]. I ask you, brothers and sisters,


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to ·follow the leading of [or submit to the authority of] people like these and anyone else who ·works and serves with them [or works hard in our common task].


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I ·am happy [rejoice] that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come. ·You are not here, but they have filled your place [or They have supplied the help you could not].


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[For] They have refreshed my spirit and yours. You should ·recognize the value of [or give recognition to] people like these.


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The churches in Asia [the Roman province, in present-day Turkey] send greetings to you. Aquila and Priscilla [, , ] greet you in the Lord, as does the church that meets in their house.


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I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand [the rest of the letter was evidently dictated to a scribe, called an amanuensis; see ].


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If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be ·separated from God—lost forever [anathema]! ·Come, O Lord [Maranatha; Aramaic phrase meaning either “Our Lord, Come!” or “Our Lord has come”]!


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From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus. ·I am an apostle because that is what God wanted […by the will of God]. Also from Timothy [; ; ; 1–2 Timothy] our ·brother in Christ [brother]. To the church of God in Corinth, and to all ·of God’s people [the saints] everywhere in Achaia [the Roman province where the city of Corinth was located, present day southern Greece]:


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Paul Gives Thanks to God ·Praise be to [Blessed is/be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father who is full of ·mercy [compassion] and all ·comfort [encouragement].


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He ·comforts [encourages] us ·every time we have [in all our] ·troubles [trials; tribulation], so when others have ·trouble [any trials/tribulation], we can ·comfort [encourage] them with the same ·comfort [encouragement] God gives us.


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[For just as] ·We share in the many sufferings of Christ [Christ’s sufferings abound in us]. In the same way, ·much comfort comes to us [our comfort abounds] through Christ.


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If we have ·troubles [trials; tribulation], it is for your ·comfort [encouragement] and salvation, and if we ·have comfort [are encouraged], ·you also have comfort [or it is for your comfort/encouragement]. This helps you to accept patiently the same sufferings we have.


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Our hope for you is ·strong [unshaken; firm], knowing that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the ·comfort [encouragement] we receive.


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Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the ·trouble [trial; tribulation] we suffered in Asia [a Roman province in present-day western Turkey]. We had great burdens there that were beyond our own strength, so that we even ·gave up hope of living [despaired of life].


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Truly, in our own hearts we believed we ·would die [had been sentenced to death]. But this happened so we would not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from the dead.


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God ·saved [rescued; delivered] us from these great dangers of death, and he will continue to ·save [rescue; deliver] us. We have put our hope in him, and he will ·save [rescue; deliver] us again.


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·And you can [or …as you] help us with your prayers. Then many people will give thanks for us—·that God blessed [for the gift/favor given to] us because of their many prayers.


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The Change in Paul’s Plans This is ·what we are proud of [our boast], ·and I can say it with a clear conscience [the testimony/witness of our conscience]: In everything we have done in the world, and especially with you, we have had an ·honest [or generous] and sincere heart from God. We did this by God’s grace, not by ·the kind of wisdom the world has [worldly/fleshly wisdom].


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We write to you ·only what you can read and understand [or in a clear and straightforward manner]. And I hope that as you have understood ·some things [part of the situation; in part] about us, you may come to ·know everything [understand fully] about us [some of Paul’s previous contacts and correspondence had produced misunderstanding or conflict; ]. Then you can ·be proud [boast] of us, as we will ·be proud [boast] of you on the day ·our Lord Jesus Christ comes again [of our Lord Jesus Christ; judgment day].


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I was so sure of all this that I made plans to visit you first so you could ·be blessed twice [have a second grace].


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I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia [the northern part of present-day Greece; ; , ] and again on my way back [the visit anticipated in ]. I wanted to ·get help from you for my trip [be sent by you] to Judea.


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[So; Therefore] Do you think that I made these plans ·without really meaning it [lightly; with vacillation]? Or maybe you think I make plans ·as the world does [or using only human standards/reason; according to the flesh], so that I say yes, yes and at the same time no, no.


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But ·since you can believe God [God is trustworthy/faithful], you can believe that what we tell you is never both yes and no.


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[For] The Son of God, Jesus Christ, that Silas and Timothy and I preached to you, was not yes and no. [But; Rather] In ·Christ [him] it has always been yes.


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The yes to all of God’s promises is in ·Christ [him], and through Christ we say ·yes [amen; from a Hebrew term meaning “yes,” or “it is true”] to the glory of God.


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Remember, God is the One who makes you and us ·strong [stand firm; established] in Christ. God ·made us his chosen people [or commissioned us; anointed us].


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He put his ·mark on us to show that we are his [seal on us; of ownership], and he put his Spirit in our hearts ·to be a guarantee for all he has promised [as a pledge/deposit/downpayment].


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Now I ·ask [call on; appeal to] God to be my witness ·that this is true [or staking my life on it; against my soul/life; a very serious vow or oath]: The reason I did not come back to Corinth was to ·keep you from being punished or hurt [spare you].


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We are not trying to ·control [rule; lord it over] your faith. You ·are strong [stand firm; are well established] in faith. But we are workers with you for your own joy.


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So I decided that my next visit to you would not be another ·one to make you sad [painful/sorrowful one; Paul’s first visit (; ) had resulted in conflict, rejection, and hurt feelings].


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If I ·make you sad [cause you pain/sorrow], who will make me glad? Only you can make me glad—·particularly the person [or those] whom I made sad [either the church generally, or a particular opponent ()].


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I wrote you a letter for this reason: that when I came to you I would not be made ·sad [sorrowful] by the people who should ·make me happy [bring me joy; Paul wrote a severe letter (now lost) after his painful visit () to call the church to repentance]. I felt sure of all of you, that you would share my joy.


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When I wrote to you before [], I was very ·troubled [distressed] and ·unhappy [anguished] in my heart, and I wrote with many tears. I did not write to make you ·sad [sorrowful], but to let you know how much I love you.


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Forgive the Sinner ·Someone [If someone…; evidently the ringleader who opposed Paul on his previous visit ()] there among you has caused sadness, ·not […it is not] to me, but to all of you. I mean he caused sadness to all ·in some way [or to some extent]. (I do not want to ·make it sound worse than it really is [exaggerate; put it too severely].)


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The punishment that ·most of you [the majority] gave him is enough for him [the church as a whole has now sided with Paul and disciplined this individual].


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But now you should forgive him and ·comfort [encourage] him to keep him from ·having too much sadness and giving up completely [being overwhelmed/swallowed up by excessive sorrow/grief].


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I wrote you to test you and to see if you obey in everything [Paul’s “severe” letter (, ) evidently called the church to submit again to his authority].


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If you forgive someone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if I had anything to forgive—I forgave it for you, ·as if Christ were with me [or in the presence of Christ].


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I did this so that Satan would not ·win anything from [outwit; take advantage of] us, because we ·know very well [are not ignorant of] what Satan’s ·plans [schemes; intentions] are.


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Paul’s Concern in Troas When I came to Troas [a city in northwest Asia Minor; , ; ; ] to preach the Good News of Christ, ·the Lord gave me a good opportunity there [a door opened for me by/in the Lord].


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But I had no ·peace [rest in my spirit], because I did not find my brother Titus [; ]. So I said good-bye to them at Troas and went to Macedonia [; ]. [Paul evidently sent his severe letter (, , ) with Titus, and now awaited the church’s response. Starting in he digresses into a long expression of joy because of their favorable reaction (). He picks up the story again in .]


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Victory Through Christ But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s victory ·parade [procession; the image is of a victorious Roman general leading his army and his captives through the streets]. God uses us to spread ·his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume [the aroma/fragrance of the knowledge of him; incense or spices were burned during such victory parades].


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·Our offering to God is this: [or For God’s sake; or To God] We are the ·sweet smell [aroma; fragrance] of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are ·being lost [perishing; headed for destruction].


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To those who are ·lost [perishing; headed for destruction], we are the ·smell [aroma] of death that brings death, but to those who are being saved, we are the ·smell [aroma] of life that brings life. So who is ·able [qualified; adequate] to do this work?


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We do not ·sell [peddle] the word of God for a profit as many other people do. But in Christ we speak the truth ·before [in the presence of] God, as ·messengers of [envoys of; from] God.


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Servants of the New Agreement Are we starting to ·brag about [praise; commend] ourselves again? Do we need letters of ·introduction [recommendation] to you or from you, like some other people [Paul’s opponents evidently carried letters of reference (perhaps from Jerusalem)]?


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You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone [the changed lives of the Corinthians prove Paul’s credibility as an apostle of Jesus Christ].


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You show that you are a letter from Christ ·sent through us [delivered by us; or produced by us; the result of our ministry]. This letter is not written with ink but ·with [by] the Spirit of the living God. It is not written on stone tablets [the law of Moses was written on stone tablets; ; ] but on human hearts [hearts of flesh; ; ; ].


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We can say this, because through Christ we ·feel certain before God [have confidence in God’s presence; or can trust in God].


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We are not saying that we ·can do this work ourselves [are able/competent/adequate to consider anything as from ourselves]. ·It is God who makes us able to do all that we do [But our ability/competence/adequacy is from God].


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He made us ·able [adequate; competent] to be servants of a new ·agreement from himself to his people [covenant; ; ]. This new ·agreement [covenant] is not ·a written law [of the letter], but it is of the Spirit. The ·written law [letter] brings death, but the Spirit gives life.


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The ·law [or old system; ministry] that brought death was ·written in words [engraved with letters] on stone. It came with ·God’s glory [glory], which made Moses’ face so ·bright [glorious] that the ·Israelites [children of Israel] could not ·continue to look [gaze] at it. But that glory ·later disappeared [was fading; or was made ineffective (by the veil on his face)].


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[For] If the ·law that judged people guilty of sin [ministry of condemnation] had glory, surely the ·new way that makes people right with God [ministry of righteousness] has much greater glory.


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For that which had glory [the law] ·really loses its glory [has no glory] when it is compared to the much greater glory [the new way through the Spirit].


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[For] If that which ·disappeared [faded; was made ineffective; the law; ] came with glory, then that which ·continues forever [remains; abides; the new way through the Spirit] has much greater glory.


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We are not like Moses, who put a ·covering [veil] over his face so the ·Israelites [children of Israel] would not see it []. The glory was ·disappearing [fading; or made ineffective], and Moses did not want them to see it end.


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But their minds were ·closed [stubborn; hardened], and even today that same ·covering [veil] ·hides the meaning [remains] when they read the old ·agreement [covenant]. That covering is ·taken away [not lifted, because it is removed] only through Christ.


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Even today, when they read ·the law of Moses [Moses], there is a ·covering over [veil laying upon] their ·minds [hearts].


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·Our faces, then, are not covered [With an unveiled face…]. We all ·show [reflect; or behold; or contemplate] the Lord’s glory, and we are being ·changed [transformed] ·to be like him [into the same image]. This change in us ·brings ever greater glory [or is from one degree of glory to another; is from glory to glory], which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.


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Preaching the Good News [Therefore,] Since God in his mercy gave us this ·work to do [ministry], we don’t ·give up [lose heart; become discouraged].


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But we have ·turned away from [rejected; renounced] ·secret [underhanded] and shameful ways. We ·use no trickery [do not walk in deception], and we do not ·change [distort] the ·teaching [word] of God. We ·teach the truth plainly [fully/openly disclose the truth], ·showing everyone who we are so that they can know in their hearts what kind of people we are [commending ourselves to every person’s conscience] in God’s sight.


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If the ·Good News [Gospel] that we preach is ·hidden [veiled], it is ·hidden [veiled] only to those who are ·lost [perishing].


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The ·devil who rules this world [god of this age] has blinded the minds of ·those who do not believe [unbelievers]. […so that] They cannot see the light of the Good News—the Good News ·about [that reveals] the glory of Christ, who is ·exactly like [the image of] God.


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[For] We do not preach about ourselves, but we preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and that we are your ·servants [slaves; bondservants] for Jesus.


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[For; Because] God who said, “Let the light shine out of the darkness [; ],” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts ·by letting us know [or to give us the knowledge of] the glory of God that is in the face of Christ.


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Spiritual Treasure in Clay Jars [But] We have this treasure ·from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure [in clay jars]. This shows that the ·great [extraordinary; transcendent] power is from God, not from us.


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We have ·troubles all around us [or all kinds of troubles/trials], but we are not ·defeated [crushed]. We ·do not know what to do [are perplexed/bewildered], but we do not ·give up the hope of living [despair].


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We are ·persecuted [pursued], but ·God does not leave us [not abandoned/left behind]. We are ·hurt [struck down; knocked over] sometimes, but we are not destroyed.


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We always carry the death of Jesus in our own bodies [Paul was in constant danger of the kind of violent death Jesus experienced] so that the life of Jesus [resurrection life] can also be ·seen [revealed; manifested] in our bodies.


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[For] We are alive, but for Jesus we are always ·in danger of [being handed over to] death so that the life of Jesus can be ·seen [revealed; manifested] in our ·bodies that die [mortal flesh].


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It is written in the Scriptures, “I believed, so I spoke [].” ·Our faith is like this, too [Having the same spirit of faith,…]. We also believe, and so we speak.


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We know that ·God [the one] who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and will ·bring us together with you into his presence [present (us) with you].


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All these things are for ·you [your benefit], so that the grace of God that is ·being given [expanding; increasing] to more and more people will bring increasing thanks to God for his glory.


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Living by Faith So we do not ·give up [despair; lose heart]. Though our ·physical body [outer person] is ·becoming older and weaker [decaying; being destroyed], our ·spirit inside us [inner (person)] is ·made new [being renewed] every day.


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·We have small troubles for a while now, but they [For our brief and insignificant trials/tribulations] are ·helping us gain [or producing in us] an eternal ·glory [burden/weight of glory] that ·is much greater than [overwhelmingly exceeds] the troubles.


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We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. [For; Because] What we see ·will last only a short time [is temporary/transitory], but what we cannot see ·will last forever [is eternal].


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[For] We know that ·when [if] our ·body [earthly house]—the tent we live in here on earth—is destroyed, ·God will have a house for us [we have a building from God]. It will not be made by human hands, but will be an eternal home ·in heaven [or in the heavens].


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But now we ·groan [sigh] in this ·tent [or body; one], longing to be clothed in our heavenly ·home [dwelling place],


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While we live in this ·body [tent], we ·have burdens [are weighed down], and we ·groan [sigh]. We do not want to be ·naked [stripped; unclothed], but we want to be clothed with our heavenly home. Then ·this body that dies [the mortal] will be ·fully covered with [swallowed up by] life [; ].


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This is what God ·made [designed; prepared] us for, and he has given us the Spirit to be a ·guarantee for this new life [deposit; down payment; ].


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So we always have courage. We know that while we ·live [are at home] in this body, we are ·away [absent; or exiles] from the Lord.


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So I say that we ·have courage [or are confident]. We really ·want [would prefer] to be ·away [absent; or exiled] from this body and be at home with the Lord.


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Our only ·goal [aim; ambition] is to please ·God [him] whether we ·live here [are at home] or ·there [are absent/exiled],


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because we must all stand before ·Christ to be judged [the Bema/judgment seat of Christ; the Bema was a raised platform from which civic leaders made pronouncements and rendered judgment]. […so that] Each of us will receive what we should get—good or bad—for the things we did in the earthly body.


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Becoming Friends with God [Therefore] Since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade people [either about the truth of the Gospel or about Paul’s good motives]. God knows what we really are, and I hope that in your ·hearts [consciences] you know, too.


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We are not trying to ·prove [commend] ourselves to you again, but we are giving you a ·reason [opportunity] to ·be proud of [boast about] us. Then you will have an answer for those who ·are proud [boast] about ·things that can be seen [outward appearance] rather than what is in the heart.


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[For] The love of Christ ·controls [compels; drives] us, because we ·know [are convinced; have concluded] that One died for all, so all have died [we died spiritually with Christ, the penalty for our sins].


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Christ died for all so that those who live would ·not continue to [no longer] live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised from the dead.


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[So; As a result] From ·this time [now] on we do not think of anyone ·as the world does [or from a merely human perspective; according to the flesh]. [Although] In the past we thought of Christ ·as the world thinks [or as nothing more than a man; according to the flesh], but we no longer think of him in that way.


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If anyone belongs to Christ, ·there is a new creation [the new creation has arrived; or that person has become a new creation]. The old things have gone; [look; behold] ·everything is made new [the new has come]!


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All this is from God, who through Christ ·made peace between us and [reconciled us to] himself, and gave us the ·work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him [ministry/service of reconciliation].


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[For] God was in Christ, ·making peace between the world and [reconciling the world to] himself. In Christ, God did not ·hold the world guilty of its sins [count their trespasses against them]. And he ·gave [committed/entrusted to] us this message of ·peace [reconciliation].


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So we ·have been sent to speak [are ambassadors] for Christ. It is as if God is ·calling to [urging; exhorting; encouraging] you through us. We speak for Christ when we ·beg [implore; urge] you to be ·at peace with [reconciled to] God.


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God made ·Christ [the one] who ·had no sin [or never sinned; did not know sin] to become sin for us, so that in ·Christ [him] we could become ·right with [the righteousness of] God.


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We are working together [with fellow believers, or with God, or with Christ], so we ·beg [urge; appeal to; encourage] you: Do not ·let the grace that you received from God be for nothing [receive God’s grace in vain].


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[For] God says, “At the ·right [favorable; acceptable] time I heard your prayers. On the day of salvation I helped you [].” ·I tell you that [Behold; Look] the “·right [favorable; acceptable] time” is now, ·and [behold; look] the “day of salvation” is now.


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We try not to ·be a problem [cause offense; place an obstacle/stumbling block] for anyone in any way, so that no one will find fault with our ·work [ministry].


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But in every way ·we show we are servants of God [or as God’s servants/ministers, we commend ourselves]: ·in accepting many hard things [in/with great endurance], in ·troubles [trials; tribulation], in ·difficulties [hardships; times of need], ·and in great problems [in distress/calamities/tight spots].


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·We are beaten […in beatings/floggings] ·and thrown into prison [in imprisonments]. ·We meet those who become upset with us and start riots […in riots/rebellions]. ·We work hard […in hard labors], ·and sometimes we get no sleep […in sleepless nights] ·or food […in hunger].


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·We show we are servants of God by our pure lives […in/by purity; Paul continues the same list, but moves to positive character traits], ·our understanding […in/by knowledge], patience, and kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by ·true [sincere; unhypocritical] love,


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by ·speaking the truth [or the message/word of truth; the Gospel], and by God’s power. ·We use our right living […with weapons of righteousness] ·to defend ourselves against everything [or both to attack (with a sword) and defend (with a shield); in our right hands and in our left].


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·Some people honor us, but others blame us […through honor/glory and dishonor/disgrace…]. ·Some people say evil things about us, but others say good things […through slander and praise…]. ·Some people say we are liars, but we speak the truth […(treated) as deceivers, yet true…].


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·We are not known, but we are well known […as unknown, yet known…]. ·We seem to be dying, but we continue to live […as dying, yet look/behold we live!]. ·We are punished […as punished/scourged], but we are not killed.


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·We have much sadness […as sorrowful/grieving], but we are always rejoicing. ·We are poor […as poor], but we are making many people ·rich in faith [rich]. ·We have […as having] nothing, but really we have everything.


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We have spoken ·freely [openly; frankly] to you, ·Corinthian friends [Corinthians], and have opened our hearts to you.


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·Our feelings of love for you have not stopped [We have not withheld our affection from you; You are not constrained/held back by us], but you have ·stopped your feelings of love [constrained/held back your affection] for us.


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I speak to you ·as if you were [as] my children. ·Do to us as we have done [As a fair exchange]—open your hearts to us [].


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Warning About Non-Christians Do not ·join yourselves to [become partners with; be mismatched/unevenly yoked with] unbelievers. ·Good and bad do not belong together [For what partnership has righteousness and wickedness/lawlessness?]. ·Light and darkness cannot share together [Or what fellowship/partnership can light have with darkness?].


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How can Christ and Belial [the devil; Satan] have any ·agreement [harmony; accord]? What can a believer ·have together [share in common] with a nonbeliever?


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What ·agreement [union] can the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God []. As God said: “I will live with them and walk with them. And I will be their God, and they will be my people [; ; ].”


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“[Therefore] ·Leave those people [Come out from their midst], and be separate, says the Lord. Touch nothing that is ·unclean [polluted, defiled], and I will ·accept [receive; welcome] you [; ].”


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[Therefore] ·Dear friends [Beloved], we have these promises from God, so we should make ourselves pure—free from ·anything that makes body or soul unclean [every defilement of flesh and spirit]. ·We should try to become holy in the way we live [or …and in this way bring our holiness to completion/perfection], ·because we respect [out of reverence for; in the fear of] God.


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Paul’s Joy ·Open your hearts to [Make room for] us. We have not done wrong to anyone, we have not ·ruined the faith of [ruined; corrupted] anyone, and we have not ·cheated [exploited] anyone.


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I do not say this to ·blame [condemn] you. [For] I told you before that ·we love you so much [you are in our hearts so that] we would live or die with you.


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I ·feel very sure of you [am very confident in you; or have spoken very boldy/frankly to you] and am very proud of you. You give me much ·comfort [encouragement], and in all of our ·troubles [trials; tribulation] I ·have great [overflow with] joy.


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[For] When we came into Macedonia [], ·we [our body/flesh] had no rest [Here Paul picks up his account where he left off at ]. We found ·trouble [trial; tribulation] all around us. We had ·fighting [battles; conflicts] on the outside and fear on the inside.


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But God, who ·comforts [encourages] those who are ·troubled [downcast; discouraged], ·comforted [encouraged] us when Titus [] came.


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We were ·comforted [encouraged], not only by his ·coming [arrival; presence] but also by the comfort you gave him. Titus told us about your ·wish to see me [longing] and ·that you are very sorry for what you did [your sorrow/mourning; regret for their treatment of Paul during his previous visit; ; ]. He also told me about your great ·care [or loyalty; zeal] for me, and when I heard this, I ·was much happier [rejoiced even more].


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[For] Even if my letter [Paul’s “severe” letter that he wrote after his painful visit; see , ] made you ·sad [grieve], I am not sorry I wrote it. At first I was sorry, because it made you ·sad [grieve], but you ·were sad [grieved] only for a short time.


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Now I ·am happy [rejoice], not because you were ·made sad [grieved], but because your sorrow ·made you change your lives [led to repentance]. You ·became sad [grieved] in the way God wanted you to, so you were not ·hurt by [or punished because of] us in any way [the Corinthians’ repentance prevented further sorrow as well as discipline from God].


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[For] The kind of sorrow God wants makes people ·change their hearts and lives [repent], leading to salvation, and ·you cannot be sorry for that [or there can be no regret for that kind of sorrow; without regret]. But the kind of sorrow the world has ·brings [leads to; results in] death.


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[For] See what this sorrow—the sorrow God wanted you to have—has ·done to [led to/produced in] you: It has made you very ·serious [eager; earnest; zealous]. It made you want to ·restore [vindicate; defend] yourselves. It made you ·angry [indignant] and afraid. It made you ·want to see me [long for reconciliation]. It made you ·care [zealous]. It made you want to ·do the right thing [see justice done]. In every way you have ·regained your innocence [or proved yourselves innocent].


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I wrote that letter, not because of the one who did the wrong or because of the person who was ·hurt [wronged]. I wrote the letter so you could see, before God, the great ·care [eagerness; zeal] you have for us.


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That is why we were ·comforted [encouraged]. Not only were we very ·comforted [encouraged], we ·were even happier [rejoiced even more] to see that Titus [] was so ·happy [joyful], because all of you ·made him feel much better [refreshed his spirit].


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[For] I ·bragged [boasted] to Titus about you, and ·you showed that I was right [I was not put to shame]. Everything we said to you was true, and you have proved that what we ·bragged [boasted] about to Titus is true.


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And his ·love [affection; feeling] for you is ·stronger [greater still] when he remembers that you were all ready to obey. You ·welcomed [received] him with ·respect and fear [fear and trembling].


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Christian Giving And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace God gave the churches in Macedonia [].


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Although they have been tested by great ·troubles [trials; tribulation] ·and are very poor, they gave much because of their great joy [their deep poverty and abundant joy overflowed into rich generosity].


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I can ·tell you [testify] that they gave as much as they were able and even more than they could afford. No one told them to do it.


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But they begged and pleaded with us ·to let them [for the privilege/grace to] share in this service for ·God’s people [the saints].


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And they gave in a way we did not expect: They first gave themselves to the Lord and to us. ·This is what God wants […by the will of God].


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So we ·asked [urged; encouraged] Titus [] to help you finish this special work of grace since he is the one who started it.


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You ·are rich [excel] in everything—in faith, in speaking, in knowledge, in ·truly wanting to help [eagerness; zeal], and in the love ·you learned [that is in you] from us. In the same way, ·be strong [excel] also in the grace of giving.


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I am not commanding you to give. But I want to ·see [test; prove] if your love is true by comparing you with ·others that really want to help [the zeal/eagerness of others].


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[For] You know the ·grace [gift] of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor so that by his becoming poor you might become rich.


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This is ·what I think you should do [my opinion on this matter for your benefit]: Last year you were the first to want to give, and you were the first who gave.


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So now finish the work you started. Then your ·“doing” [completion] will be equal to your ·“wanting to do” [eager desire]. Give from what you have.


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If you ·want [are eager/willing] to give, your gift will be accepted. It will be judged by what you have, not by what you do not have.


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[For] We do not want you to have ·troubles [hardships; trials] while other people ·are at ease [have relief], but we want everything to be equal [giving is not intended to impoverish the giver, but to distribute God’s resources].


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At this time ·you have plenty and what you have [your abundance] can help others who are in need. ·Then later, when they have plenty, they [or In the same way, their abundance] can help you when you are in need, and all will be equal [Paul may be saying, (1) that the Jerusalem church may one day reciprocate by helping the Corinthians financially; or, (2) that the Corinthians’ financial gift will be reciprocated through Jerusalem’s spiritual gifts].


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As it is written in the Scriptures, “The person who gathered more did not have too much, nor did the person who gathered less have too little [].”


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Titus and His Companions Help ·I thank [Thanks be to] God because he ·gave [put into the heart of] Titus [] the same ·love [eagerness; zeal] for you that I have.


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[For] Titus accepted what we asked him to do. He ·wanted very much [was eager] to go to you, and this was ·his own idea [of his own accord].


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We are sending with him the brother who is praised by all the churches because of his service ·in preaching the Good News [in the Gospel; unknown person, possibly Luke].


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Also, this brother was ·chosen [appointed] by the churches to go with us ·when we deliver this gift of money [or in this ministry/administration of grace]. We are doing this ·service [ministry] to bring glory to the Lord and to show ·that we really want [our eagerness/willingness] to help.


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We are being careful so that no one will ·criticize [blame] us for the way we are handling this ·large [abundant; generous] gift.


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Also, we are sending with them our brother, who has proved to us in many ways that he is always ·ready [eager; zealous] to help. He wants to help even more now, because he has much ·faith [confidence] in you.


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·Now [or If there is any question] about Titus []—he is my partner ·who is working with me [and coworker] to help you. ·And [or If there is any question] about the other brothers—they are ·sent [messengers] from the churches, and ·they bring glory to [or they are the glory of] Christ.


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So show these men the proof of your love and the reason we ·are proud [boast] of you. ·Then [or …so that] all the churches can see it.


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Help for Fellow Christians I really do not need to write you about this ·help [service; ministry] for ·God’s people [the saints].


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[For; Because] I know ·you want [your eagerness/willingness] to help. I have been ·bragging [boasting] about this to the ·believers in Macedonia [Macedonians; ], telling them that you in Achaia [southern Greece; ] have been ready to give since last year. And your ·desire to give [zeal; enthusiasm] has ·made most of them ready to give also [aroused/provoked the majority].


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But I am sending the brothers to you so that our ·bragging [boasting] about you in this matter will not be empty words. I want you to be ready, as I said you would be.


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If any of the ·believers from Macedonia [Macedonians] come with me and find that you are not ready, we will be ·ashamed [embarrassed; dishonored] that we were so sure of you. (And you will be ·ashamed [embarrassed; dishonored], too!)


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So I thought I should ·ask [urge; encourage] these brothers to go to you before we do. They will finish getting in order the ·generous gift [blessing] you promised so it will be ready when we come. And it will be a ·generous gift [blessing]—not one ·that you did not want to give [required from you; grudgingly given].


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Remember this: The person who ·plants a little [sows sparingly] will ·have a small harvest [also reap sparingly], but the person who ·plants a lot [sows generously/bountifully] will ·have a big harvest [also reap generously/bountifully].


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Each of you should give as you have decided in your heart to give. You should not ·be sad when you give [or give reluctantly], and you should not give ·because you feel forced to give [out of compulsion]. [For] God loves the person who gives ·happily [cheerfully].


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And God can ·give you more blessings than you need [overflow/abound all grace to you]. Then ·you will always have plenty of everything [in all things at all times you will have all you need]— ·enough to give to [abounding/overflowing in] every good work.


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[Just as] It is written in the Scriptures: “He ·gives [scatters (seed) and gives] freely to the poor. ·The things he does are right and will continue forever [or His righteousness endures forever; ].”


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[For] God is the One who gives seed to the farmer and bread for food. He will ·give you all the seed you need and make it grow [supply and multiply your seed] so there will be a great harvest ·from your goodness [of your righteousness].


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He will make you rich in every way so that you can always give ·freely [generously]. And your giving through us will ·cause many to give thanks [produce thanksgiving] to God.


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This ·service you do [ministry of service] not only helps the needs of ·God’s people [the saints], it also brings many more thanks to God.


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It is a proof of your faith. Many people will ·praise [glorify] God because you ·obey [submit to] the ·Good News [Gospel] of Christ—the gospel you ·say you believe [confess]—and because you ·freely [generously] share with them and with all others.


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And when they pray for you, they will ·wish they could be with [long for] you because of the great grace that God has given you.


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Paul Defends His Ministry I, Paul, ·am begging [urge; appeal to] you with the gentleness and the kindness of Christ. ·Some people say that I am […—I who am; Paul is answering an accusation; see ] ·easy on you [lenient; or timid] when I am with you and bold when I am away [Paul here confronts those still resisting his authority].


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I ·beg [ask] you that when I ·come [am present] I will not need to use that same boldness with you that I expect to use with those who ·think [or claim] we ·live [walk] ·in a worldly way [by the world’s standards; according to the flesh].


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[For] Although we ·live in the world [walk in the flesh], we do not ·fight [wage war] ·in the same way the world fights [according to the flesh].


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We fight with weapons that are ·different from those the world uses [not merely human weapons; not of the flesh]. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy ·the enemy’s strong places [strongholds; fortresses]. We destroy ·people’s arguments [human reasoning; sophistries]


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and every ·proud thing [pretension; exalted opinion; high thing] that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it obey Christ.


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We are ready to ·punish [avenge] ·anyone there who does not obey [every disobedience], ·but first we want you to obey fully [once/after your obedience is fulfilled; once the church as a whole repents, Paul will discipline those who refuse].


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You ·must look at the facts before you [or are looking only at outward appearances]. If you ·feel sure [are confident] that you belong to Christ, you must ·remember [consider again] that we belong to Christ just as you do.


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·It is true that we brag freely [If I boast too much…] about the authority the Lord gave us. But this authority is to build you up, not to tear you down. So I will not be ashamed.


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Some people say [], “Paul’s letters are ·powerful [forceful] and ·sound important [weighty; or demanding], but ·when he is with us, he [his physical presence] is weak. And his ·speaking is nothing [speaking skills are deplorable; or speeches are worthless; Greek culture highly valued rhetorical skill].”


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They should ·know [consider] this: ·The authority we show by letter [What we are in word] while we are ·away [absent], we will ·demonstrate in our actions [be in deed] when we ·come to you [are present].


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[For] We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with those who ·think they are very important [commend/promote themselves; ]. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. ·This shows that they know nothing [or What ignorance!; or What fools!].


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But we will not ·brag [boast] ·about things outside the work that was given us to do [beyond the limits]. We will limit our ·bragging [boasting] to the ·work [sphere of ministry] that God gave us, ·and this includes our work with you [which reaches even to you].


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[For] We are not ·bragging too much [or going beyond our commission; overreaching/overextending ourselves], as we would be if we had not already come to you. But we have come to you with the Good News of Christ [Paul’s opponents claimed the Corinthians were their sphere of ministry; Paul counters that he first brought the Gospel to Corinth ()].


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We limit our ·bragging [boasting] to the work that is ours, not what others have done. We hope that as your faith continues to grow, ·the scope of our work among you will greatly increase [or our work among you will greatly increase within the sphere/limits God has given us].


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·We want to […so that we may] ·tell the Good News [preach the Gospel] in the areas beyond ·your city [you]. We do not want to ·brag [boast] about work that has already been done in another person’s area.


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But, “·If people want to brag, they should brag only [Let the one who boasts, boast] about the Lord [; ].”


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[For] It is not those who ·say they are good [commend/promote themselves; ] who are ·accepted [approved] but those the Lord ·thinks are good [commends].


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Paul and the False Apostles I wish you would be patient with me even ·when I am a little foolish [in a little foolishness], but you are already doing that.


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[For] I am jealous over you with a ·jealousy that comes from God [or godly jealousy]. I promised to give you to Christ, as your only husband. I want to give you as his pure ·bride [virgin].


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But I am afraid that your minds will be ·led away [or corrupted] from your ·true [sincere] and pure following of Christ just as Eve was ·tricked [deceived] by the ·snake [serpent] with his ·evil ways [cunning; craftiness; ].


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You ·are very patient with [willingly put up with; gladly tolerate] anyone who comes to you and preaches a different Jesus from the one we preached. You are very willing to accept a spirit that is different from the Spirit you received, or a gospel that is different from the one you ·accepted [or received from us].


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I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have shown this to you clearly in every way.


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Was it ·wrong [a sin] for me to ·humble [lower] myself and ·honor [exalt; lift up] you by preaching God’s ·Good News [Gospel] to you without pay?


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If I needed something when I was with you, I did not ·trouble [burden] any of you. The brothers who came from Macedonia gave me all that I needed. I did not allow myself to ·depend on [become a burden to] you in any way, and I will ·never depend on you [keep doing this].


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No one in Achaia [southern Greece; ] will stop me from ·bragging [boasting] about that. ·I say this with the truth of Christ in me [or By Christ’s truth in me! a strong vow or oath].


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·And why do I not depend on you [Why]? Do you think it is because I do not love you? ·God knows that I love you [God knows!].


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And I will continue doing what I am doing now, because I want to stop those people from having a reason to ·brag [boast]. They ·would like [are looking for an opportunity] to say that the work they ·brag [boast] about is ·the same as [equal to] ours.


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Such men are ·not true apostles [false apostles; pseudo-apostles] but are ·workers who lie [deceitful workers]. ·They change themselves to look like […disguising themselves as; …masquerading as] apostles of Christ.


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·This does not surprise us [And no wonder, since…]. Even Satan ·changes himself to look like [disguises himself as; masquerades as] an ·angel [messenger] of light [trying to fool people into thinking he is from God, who is pure light].


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So it does not surprise us if Satan’s servants also ·make themselves look like [masquerade as] servants ·who work for what is right [of righteousness]. But ·in the end they will be punished for what they do [their end will match their deeds].


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Paul Tells About His Sufferings I tell you again: No one should think I am a fool. But if you think so, accept me as you would accept a fool. Then I can ·brag [boast] a little, too.


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·When I brag because I feel sure of myself [By boasting so confidently], I am not talking ·as the Lord would talk [or with the Lord’s authority; according to the Lord] but as a fool.


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Many people are ·bragging [boasting] ·about their lives in the world [or as the world does; or by human standards; according to the flesh]. So I will ·brag [boast] too.


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You are wise, so you will gladly be patient with fools! [Paul sarcastically suggests that the “wise” Corinthians, who listened to the false apostles, would surely listen to his “foolishness.”]


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You ·are even patient [bear; put up] with those who ·order you around [enslave you], or ·use you [exploit you; devour (your possessions)], or ·trick [take advantage of] you, or ·think they are better than you [act arrogantly; put on airs], or ·hit [slap] you in the face.


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It is shameful to me to say this, but we were too “weak” to do those things to you! But if anyone else ·is brave enough [dares] to ·brag [boast], then I also will ·be brave and brag [dare to boast]. (I am talking as a fool.)


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Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they from Abraham’s ·family [descendants; seed]? So am I.


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Are they servants of Christ? I am serving him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much harder than they. I have been in prison more often []. I have been ·hurt more in beatings [flogged more severely; ]. I have been near death many times.


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Five times the Jews have given me ·their punishment of thirty-nine lashes with a whip [forty minus one; a shorthand phrase for the standard Jewish punishment; allowed a maximum of forty lashes; the Jews gave thirty-nine to avoid breaking the law].


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Three different times I was beaten with rods [a Roman punishment]. One time I was almost stoned to death []. Three times I was in ships that wrecked, and one of those times I spent a night and a day in the sea [Paul’s shipwreck in occurred after writing this (c. ad 60), so he experienced at least four shipwrecks].


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I have gone on many travels and have been in danger from rivers, from ·thieves [bandits], from my own people [the Jews], and from the Gentiles. I have been in danger in cities, in ·places where no one lives [the desert/wilderness], and on the sea. And I have been in danger with false ·Christians [brothers].


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I have done hard and tiring work, and many times I did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty, and many times I have been without food. I have been cold and ·without clothes [or destitute; naked].


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Besides all this, there is on me every day the ·load [pressure] of my ·concern [anxiety] for all the churches.


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I feel weak every time someone is weak [Who is weak, and I am not weak?], and ·I feel upset every time someone is led into sin [Who is led into sin, and I am not indignant/burning (with anger)?].


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When I was in Damascus, the ·governor [ethnarch; a title for a minor ruler] under King Aretas wanted to arrest me, so he put guards around the city.


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But ·my friends lowered me [I was lowered] in a basket through ·a hole [or window] in the city wall. So I escaped from ·the governor [his hands].


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A Special Blessing in Paul’s Life I must continue to ·brag [boast]. It will do no good, but I will talk now about visions and revelations from the Lord.


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I know a man in Christ [a believer] who was ·taken up [caught up; snatched away] to the third heaven [the presence of God] fourteen years ago [Paul is indirectly referring to himself]. I do not know whether the man was in his body or out of his body, but God knows.


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And I know that this man was ·taken up [caught up; snatched away] to paradise [another name for heaven; ; ]. I don’t know if he was in his body or away from his body, but God knows. He heard things ·he is not able to explain [inexpressible; ineffable], things that no human is allowed to tell.


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I will ·brag [boast] about a man like that, but I will not ·brag [boast] about myself, except about my weaknesses.


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But if I wanted to ·brag [boast] about myself, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will ·not brag about myself [spare you; refrain from this] because I do not want people to think more of me than what they see me do or hear me ·say [or say, or because of these extraordinary revelations; this phrase may go here or with the next sentence].


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So that I would not become too proud ·of the wonderful things that were shown to me [or because of these extraordinary revelations; this phrase may be part of the previous sentence], a ·painful physical problem [thorn in the flesh] was given to me. This problem was a messenger from Satan, sent to ·beat [torment; harrass; trouble] me and keep me from being too proud.


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I ·begged [pleaded with] the Lord three times ·to take this problem away from [that it might leave] me.


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But he said to me, “My grace is ·enough for you [sufficient for you; all you need]. ·When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you [For (my) power is perfected in weakness].” So I am very happy to ·brag [boast] about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can ·live [reside; or rest] in me.


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For this reason I am ·happy [pleased; content] when I have weaknesses, insults, ·hard times [times of need], ·sufferings [persecutions], and ·all kinds of troubles [distress] ·for [for the sake of] Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.


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Paul’s Love for the Christians I have ·been talking like [become] a fool, but you ·made me [compelled me to] do it. You are the ones who should ·say good things about [have commended] me. Even if I am ·worth nothing [nothing], I am not at all inferior to those “·great [super-] apostles.”


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·When I was with you, I patiently did the things that prove I am an apostle [The signs of an apostle were performed among you, with all patience/perseverance]—signs, wonders, and ·miracles [powerful deeds].


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In what way were you treated worse than the rest of the churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me for this ·wrong [injustice]!


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[Behold; Look] I am now ready to visit you the third time [, ], and I will not be a burden to you. I want nothing from you, except you. [For] Children should not have to save up to give to their parents. [Rather,] Parents should save to give to their children.


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So I ·am happy to [most gladly] ·give everything I have for you, even myself [spend and be spent for your lives/souls]. If I love you more, will you love me less?


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·It is clear [Granting that; or Be that as it may] I was not a burden to you, but ·you think I was tricky and lied to catch you [being so crafty, I took you by deceit!; Paul is being sarcastic].


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Did I ·cheat [take advantage of] you by using any of the messengers I sent to you? [The Greek question assumes a negative answer.]


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I ·asked [urged; encouraged] Titus [] to go to you, and I sent our brother with him [, ]. Titus did not cheat you, did he? ·No, you know that Titus and I did the same thing [Did we not walk in the same footsteps…?] and with the same spirit.


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·Do you think we have been defending ourselves to you all this time [or All this time have you been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you]? We have been speaking in Christ and ·before [in the presence of] God, ·dear friends [beloved], and everything we do is to ·make you stronger [build you up].


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[For] I am afraid that when I come, you will not be what I want you to be, and I will not be what you want me to be. I am afraid that among you there may be ·arguing [quarreling], jealousy, anger, selfish ·fighting [or ambition], ·evil talk [slander], gossip, ·pride [arrogance], and ·confusion [disorder].


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I am afraid that when I come to you again, my God will ·make me ashamed [or humble/humiliate me] before you. I may ·be saddened by [or mourn/grieve over] many of those who have sinned because they have not ·changed their hearts or turned [repented] from their ·impurity [uncleanness], sexual sins and the ·shameful things [debauchery; licentiousness] they have done.


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Final Warnings and Greetings I will come to you for the third time [, ; ]. “Every ·case [accusation; matter] must be ·proved [established] by two or three witnesses [].”


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When I was with you the second time [], I gave a warning to those who had sinned. Now I am away from you, and I give a warning to all the others. When I come to you again, I will not ·be easy with [spare] them.


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·You want [or …since you are demanding] proof that Christ is speaking through me. My proof is that he is not weak among you, but he is powerful.


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It is true that he was weak when he was ·killed on the cross [crucified], but he lives now by God’s power. It is true that we are weak in Christ, but ·for you [or when dealing with you; or in your presence] we will be alive with Christ by God’s power [Christ’s resurrection turns weakness into strength].


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·Test [Examine] yourselves to see if you are ·living in [in] the faith. ·Look closely at [Test; Examine] yourselves. ·You [Or don’t you…?] know that Jesus Christ is in you—·unless [or if not,] you fail the test.


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We pray to God that you will not do anything ·wrong [evil]. It is not important ·to see [that people see; or for it to appear] that we have passed the test, but it is important that you do what is ·right [good], even if it seems we have failed.


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We ·are happy to be [rejoice whenever we are] weak, if you are strong, and we pray that you will become ·complete [mature; or fully equipped/restored].


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I am writing this while I am away from you so that when I come I will not have to be ·harsh [severe] in my use of authority. The Lord gave me this authority to build you up, not to tear you down.


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·Now [Finally], brothers and sisters, ·I say good-bye [or be joyful; rejoice; a common greeting and farewell]. ·Live in harmony [Seek restoration; or Mend your ways]. ·Do what I have asked you to do [Follow my exhortation; or Encourage/Exhort one another]. ·Agree with each other [Live in unity], and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.


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


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From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger]. ·I was not chosen to be an apostle by human beings, nor was I sent from human beings […not from men/humans or by a man/human authority]. ·I was made an apostle […but] through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead.


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This letter is also from all ·those of God’s family [the brothers (and sisters)] who are with me. To the churches in Galatia [a Roman province in present-day central Turkey; Paul started churches in Galatia on his first missionary journey ()]:


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who gave himself for our sins to ·free [rescue; deliver] us from this ·evil world we live in [present evil age], as God the Father ·planned [willed; desired].


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The Only Good News I am amazed that you are so quickly ·turning away from [deserting; forsaking] ·God [the one] who called you by ·his grace given through Christ [the grace of Christ], and are believing ·something different than the Good News [a different Gospel].


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·Really, there is no other Good News […which is not another]. But some people are ·confusing [troubling; disturbing] you; they want to ·change [distort] the ·Good News [Gospel] of Christ.


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But even if we ourselves or an angel from heaven were to preach to you a different message than the Good News we preached, ·we should be [let him be] ·judged guilty [condemned; accursed; anathema]!


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I said this before, and now I say it again: If anyone is preaching a different message than the one you received, ·that person should be [let him be] ·judged guilty [condemned; accursed; anathema]!


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Do you think I am now trying to ·make people accept me [seek human favor/acceptance]? ·No, God is the One I am trying to please […or (the favor of) God?]. Am I trying to please people? If I still wanted to please people, I would not be a ·servant [slave; bondservant] of Christ.


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Paul’s Authority Is from God Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the ·Good News [Gospel] I preached to you was not ·made up by human beings [devised by man; of human origin].


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I did not get it from ·humans [a human source; man], nor did anyone teach it to me, but ·Jesus Christ showed it to me [by a revelation of/from/about Jesus Christ; ].


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[For] You have heard about my past life in the Jewish religion. I ·attacked [intensely/severely persecuted] the church of God and tried to destroy it.


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I was ·becoming a leader in the Jewish religion [advancing/progressing in Judaism], doing better than most other Jews of my age. I ·tried harder than anyone else [was exceedingly zealous] to follow the ·teachings handed down by our [traditions of my] ·ancestors [forefathers].


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But God ·set me apart [or chose/appointed me] for his work ·even before I was born [from my mother’s womb]. He called me through his grace


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and ·showed [revealed] his son to me so that I might ·tell the Good News [preach the Gospel] about him to the Gentiles [; ]. When God called me, I did not ·get advice or help from [confer/consult with] ·any person [flesh and blood].


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I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. ·But [Instead; Rather] I went away to Arabia [probably the Nabatean kingdom south of Damascus] and later went back to Damascus.


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Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to ·meet [get to know; or confer with; gain information from] ·Peter [Cephas, Peter’s name in Aramaic; ] and stayed with him for fifteen days.


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Later, I went to the areas of Syria [a Roman province north of Israel] and Cilicia [a Roman province in present-day southeastern Turkey; Paul’s hometown Tarsus was in Cilicia].


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They had only heard it said, “This man who was ·attacking [persecuting] us is now preaching the same faith that he once tried to destroy.”


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Other Apostles Accepted Paul [Then] After fourteen years I went to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas [; ; , , ; ; ]. I also took Titus [; ] with me.


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I went because ·God showed me I should go [of a revelation]. There I met in private with ·the leaders of the church [or those who seemed to be leaders; or the prominent/influential ones] and I ·told [presented to; set before] them the ·Good News [Gospel] that I preach to the Gentiles. ·I did not want my past work and the work I am now doing to be wasted […to make sure I was not running or had run in vain].


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Titus was with me, but he was not ·forced [compelled] to be circumcised [], even though he was a Greek.


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·We talked about this problem [This issue arose] because some false ·believers [brothers] had come into our group secretly. They came in ·like spies to overturn [to sabotage; to spy on] the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to make us slaves.


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But we did not give in to ·those false believers [them] for a minute, so that the truth of the ·Good News [Gospel] would ·continue [be preserved; not be compromised] for you.


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Those leaders who ·seemed to be important [or were prominent/influential] did not ·change the Good News that I preach [or add anything to my message]. (It doesn’t matter to me if they were ·“important” [prominent; influential] or not. To God everyone is the same.)


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But these leaders saw that I had been ·given the work of telling the Good News [entrusted with the Gospel] to the ·Gentiles [non-Jewish people; uncircumcised], just as Peter ·had the work of telling the Jews [to the circumcised].


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[For] ·God [The one] who gave Peter the power to work as an apostle for the ·Jewish people [circumcised] also gave me the power to work as an apostle for the Gentiles.


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James, Peter, and John, who seemed to be ·the leaders [pillars], ·understood [recognized; acknowledged] that God had given me this special grace, so they ·accepted [shook hands in partnership with; gave the right hand of fellowship/partnership to] Barnabas and me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles and they would go to the ·Jewish people [circumcised].


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The only thing they asked us was to remember to help the poor [meaning especially the poor believers in Jerusalem; ]—something I ·really wanted [myself was eager/zealous] to do.


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Paul Shows that Peter Was Wrong [But] When ·Peter [Cephas; Peter’s name in Aramaic; ] came to Antioch, I challenged him to his face, because he ·was wrong [stood condemned].


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[For; Because] ·Peter [He] ate with the Gentiles until ·some Jewish people [certain people] sent from James [] came to Antioch [a major city in Syria]. When they arrived, Peter ·stopped eating with those who weren’t Jewish [backed off; withdrew], and he separated himself from them. […because] He was afraid of the ·Jews [circumcised; or the pro-circumcision group].


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Then the rest of the ·Jewish believers [Jews] joined him in this hypocrisy. Even Barnabas was ·influenced [swept along; carried away] by their hypocrisy.


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[But] When I saw they were not ·following [acting in line with] the truth of the ·Good News [Gospel], I spoke to ·Peter [Cephas; ] in front of them all. I said, “You are a Jew, but you are living like a Gentile and not a Jew. So how can you now try to force Gentiles to live like Jews?”


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Yet we know that a person is ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] not by ·following [the works of] the law, but by ·trusting in [faith in; or the faithfulness of] Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus, that we might be ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] ·because we trusted in [through faith in; or because of the faithfulness of] Christ. It is not ·because we followed [by the works of] the law, because no ·one [human being; flesh] can be ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] by ·following [the works of] the law.


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·We Jews came to Christ, trying to be made right with God, and it became clear that we are sinners, too [or But if we ourselves, also, by seeking to be justified in Christ, were found to be sinners…]. Does this mean that Christ ·encourages [is a servant/minister of] sin? ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be]!


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But I would ·really be wrong [or prove myself to be a lawbreaker/sinner] ·to begin teaching again those things that I gave up [if I rebuild those things I tore down; dependance on the law for salvation].


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·It was the law that put me to death [or Trying to keep the law condemned me to death; For through the law I died to the law], and I died to the law so that I can now live for God [no longer depending on the law for salvation, Paul now depends on God’s grace].


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I ·was put to death on the cross [have been crucified] with Christ, and I do not live anymore—it is Christ who lives in me. I still live in my ·body [flesh], but I live ·by faith in [or because of the faithfulness of] the Son of God who loved me and gave himself ·to save me [for me; on my behalf].


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By saying these things I ·am not going against [do not set aside/nullify] God’s grace. ·Just the opposite [For…], if the law could make us right with God, then Christ’s death would be ·useless [in vain; for nothing].


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Blessing Comes Through Faith ·You [O] ·foolish [stupid] Galatians! Who has ·tricked [or cast a spell on; bewitched] you? ·You were told very clearly about the death of Jesus Christ on the cross [Before your eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed/announced as crucified].


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Tell me this one thing: How did you receive the Holy Spirit? Did you receive the Spirit by ·following [the works of] the law? ·No, you received the Spirit […or] ·because you heard the Good News and believed it [by believing what you heard].


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·Are you so foolish [How can you be so stupid]? You began ·your life in Christ by [by; or through] the Spirit. Now are you trying to ·make it complete [finish; or be perfected] by ·your own power [human effort; the flesh]?


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·Were all your experiences wasted [or Have you suffered so much for nothing]? ·I hope not [or Surely it was not for nothing; —if indeed for nothing]!


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Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you ·because you follow [by the works of] the law? ·No, he does these things […or] ·because you heard the Good News and believed it [by your believing what you heard; ].


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·The Scriptures say the same thing about Abraham [Just as (it says)]: “Abraham believed God, and ·God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God [it (Abraham’s faith) was credited to him as righteousness; ; ].”


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·The Scriptures, telling what would happen in the future, said [Scripture foresaw; Scripture is personified as foreseeing and speaking] that God would ·make the Gentiles right [justify the Gentiles] through their faith. This ·Good News was told [Gospel was proclaimed] to Abraham beforehand, as the Scripture says: “All nations will be blessed through you [; ].”


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So all who ·believe as Abraham believed [rely on faith; have faith; are of faith] are blessed ·just as Abraham was [with faithful Abraham; or with Abraham, the man of faith].


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·But [For] those who depend on ·following [the works of] the law to make them right are under a curse, because the Scriptures say, “·Anyone [All; Everyone] will be cursed who does not ·always obey what [keep doing everything that] is written in the Book of the Law [].”


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Now it is clear that no one can be ·made right with [justified/declared righteous before] God by the law, because the Scriptures say, “·Those who are right with God will live by faith [The righteous will live by faith; or Those made righteous by faith will live; ; ].”


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The law is not based on faith. ·It says [Rather; On the contrary], “A person who ·obeys [does; practices] these things will ·live because of [gain life by/in] them [].”


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Christ ·took away [redeemed us from; bought our freedom from] the curse ·the law put on us [of the law]. ·He changed places with us and put himself under that curse […by becoming a curse for us]. [For; Because] It is written in the Scriptures, “Anyone ·whose body is displayed [who is hung] on a tree is cursed [; an executed man’s body was hung on a stake or tree for humiliation and warning; Paul here applies it to Christ’s crucifixion as the curse/judgment for our sin].”


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Christ did this so that God’s blessing promised to Abraham [] might come through Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. ·Jesus died so that by our believing […so that by faith] we could receive the Spirit that God promised.


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The Law and the Promise Brothers and sisters, let us think ·in human terms [or of an example from everyday life; according to man]: Even in the case of a human ·agreement [covenant; or will and testament], after it has been ·accepted [ratified; put into affect] no one can ·set it aside [annul it] or add anything to it.


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God made promises both to Abraham and to his ·descendant [seed]. God did not say, “and to your ·descendants [seeds].” That would mean many people. But God said, “and to your ·descendant [seed; ; ; ; ].” That means only one person; that person is Christ.


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This is what I mean: The law, which came four hundred thirty years later, cannot ·change [cancel; nullify] that ·agreement [covenant] previously made by God and so ·destroy [nullify; render invalid] God’s promise to Abraham.


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If the law could give us ·Abraham’s blessing [the inheritance], then ·the promise would not be necessary [or it is not based on a promise]. But that is not possible, because God freely gave ·his blessings [it] to Abraham through the promise he had made.


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So what was the law for? It was ·given to show that the wrong things people do are against God’s will [added because of transgressions]. And it continued until the ·special descendant [seed], who had been promised, came. The law was given through angels [; ] ·who used Moses for a mediator to give the law to people [by the hand of a mediator/intermediary].


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The Purpose of the Law of Moses Does this mean that the law is against God’s promises? ·Never [Absoluely not; May it never be]! That would be true only if the law could make us ·right with God [righteous]. But God did not give a law that can bring life.


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Instead, the Scriptures ·showed that the whole world is bound by sin [imprisoned all things under (the power of) sin; Scripture is personified as the jailer]. This was so the promise would be given ·through faith to people who believe in Jesus Christ [or because of Christ’s faithfulness, to all who believe].


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Before this faith came, we were all held prisoners by the law. We ·had no freedom [were locked up] until ·God showed us the way of faith that was coming [the coming faith would be revealed].


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In other words, the law was our ·guardian [child-minder; tutor; an attendant slave who watched over a child in a wealthy Greco-Roman household] ·leading us to [or until] Christ so that we could be ·made right with God [declared righteous; justified] through faith.


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Now ·the way of faith [faith] has come, and we no longer live under a ·guardian [child-minder; tutor; ].


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[For] ·You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus [or In Christ Jesus you are all children/sons of God through faith].


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In Christ, there is ·no difference between Jew and Greek [neither Jew nor Greek], slave and free person, male and female. You are all ·the same [or united; one] in Christ Jesus.


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·You [If you…] belong to Christ, so you are Abraham’s ·descendants [seed]. ·You will inherit all of God’s blessings because of the promise God made to Abraham […heirs according to the promise].


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·I want to tell you this [or This is what I mean; I am saying]: While those who will inherit their fathers’ property are still children, they are no different from slaves. It does not matter that the children ·own everything [or are masters/lords over the whole estate].


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They must obey ·those chosen to care for them [their guardians and administrators/trustees] until the time set by their father.


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It is the same for us. We were once like children, slaves to the ·useless rules [or spiritual forces; or elementary principles/powers] of this world.


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But when the ·right [appropriate; or appointed; fullness of] time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and ·lived [born] under the law.


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God did this so he could ·buy freedom for [redeem] those who were under the law and so we could ·become his children [or receive adoption as heirs; a Roman legal term for adopting an heir to carry on one’s name].


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Since you are God’s ·children [or sons], God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and the Spirit cries out, “Abba [Aramaic for “Father,” a term of intimacy], Father.”


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So you are no longer a slave; you are God’s ·child [or son], and ·because you are his child, God will give you the blessing he promised [if a son/child, then also an heir through God].


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Paul’s Love for the Christians In the past you did not know God. You were slaves to gods that were not real.


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But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who knows you. So ·why do [how can] you turn back to those weak and ·useless [bankrupt; poor] ·rules [or spiritual forces; or elementary principles/powers; ] you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again?


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You still ·follow teachings about [are observing/keeping] special days, months, seasons, and years [probably Jewish Sabbaths and festivals, which Paul’s opponents claimed must be observed to be saved].


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Brothers and sisters, I became like you [living like a Gentile to win them to Christ; ], so I beg you to become like me [depending on God’s grace, not the Jewish law, for salvation]. You ·were very good to me before [did me no wrong].


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You remember that it was because of an illness that I came to you the first time, preaching the ·Good News [Gospel].


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Though my sickness was a ·trouble for you [trial for you; or test of your concern], you did not ·hate [despise] me or ·make me leave [reject me]. Instead, you welcomed me as an angel from God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself!


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But where is that ·joy [happiness; blessedness] you had then? I am ready to testify that you would have taken out your eyes and given them to me if that were possible.


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Those people [the false teachers; ] ·are working hard to persuade you [or show great interest in you; or are eager to win your favor; are zealous for you], but ·this is not good for you [for no good purpose; or their intentions are not good]. They want to persuade you to ·turn against [reject; exclude] us and ·follow only [care only for; be zealous for] them.


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It is good ·for people to show interest in you [or to be passionate/enthusiastic; to be zealous/the object of zeal], but only if their ·purpose [intention] is good. This is always true, not just when I am with you.


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My little children, again I feel the pain of childbirth for you until ·you truly become like Christ [Christ is formed in you].


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I wish I could be with you now and could change ·the way I am talking to you [or my tone of voice; my voice], because I ·do not know what to think about [or don’t know how to help; or am perplexed/at wit’s end about] you.


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The Example of Hagar and Sarah Some of you still want to be under the law. Tell me, do you know what the law says?


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[For] The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons. The mother of one son was a slave woman, and the mother of the other son was a free woman.


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Abraham’s son from the slave woman was born ·in the normal human way [or through human effort/plan; according to the flesh; Ishmael; ]. But the son from the free woman was born ·because of the promise God made to Abraham [through the promise; Isaac; ; ].


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This story ·teaches something else [or may be read allegorically/figuratively/as an illustration]: The two women are ·like the two agreements between God and his people [two covenants]. One is ·the law that God made on Mount Sinai [from Mount Sinai; the mountain in Arabia where God delivered his law to Israel through Moses; ], ·and the people who are under this agreement are like slaves […bearing children for slavery]. ·The mother named Hagar is like that agreement [This is Hagar].


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She is like Mount Sinai in Arabia and ·is a picture of [corresponds to; represents] the ·earthly city of [present] Jerusalem. This city and ·its people [her children] are ·slaves to the law [slaves].


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But the ·heavenly Jerusalem, which is above [Jerusalem above], is like the free woman. She is our mother.


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[For] It is written in the Scriptures: “·Be happy [Rejoice], barren one [Jerusalem]. You are like a woman who never gave birth to children. ·Start singing [Burst out] and ·shout for joy [cry out]. You never ·felt the pain of giving birth [or went into labor], but you who are ·childless [desolate; or deserted] will have more children than the woman who has a husband [].”


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My brothers and sisters, you are ·God’s children because of his promise [children of the promise], as Isaac was then.


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[For just as] The son who was born ·in the normal way [or through human effort/plan; according to the flesh] treated the other son badly. It is the same today [a reference to Jewish persecution of Christians].


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But what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son. The son of the slave woman will not share in the inheritance with the son of the free woman [].”


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Keep Your Freedom Christ set us free ·so that we could live in freedom [to a place of freedom; or by means of freedom; ]. So stand strong. Do not ·change and go back into the slavery of the law [submit/be fastened to a yoke of slavery].


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Listen, I Paul tell you that if you ·go back to the law by being [let yourself be] circumcised, Christ does you no good.


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Again, I warn every man: If you allow yourselves to be circumcised, you ·must follow [are obligated to obey] all the law.


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If you try to be ·made right with God [justified] through the law, ·your life with Christ is over [you are alienated/separated/severed from Christ]—you have ·left [fallen away from] God’s grace.


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For by the Spirit and through faith we wait eagerly for ·a right relationship with God [righteousness]—the object of our hope.


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·When we are [For] in Christ Jesus, ·it is not important if we are circumcised or not [neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything]. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.


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You were running a good race. Who ·stopped [hindered] you from ·following [or obeying; or your conviction about] the ·true way [truth]?


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Be careful! “Just a little ·yeast [leaven; ] makes the whole batch of dough rise [a little error will spread through the whole community].”


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But I ·trust [have confidence/am persuaded about you] in the Lord that you will ·not believe those different ideas [take no different view]. Whoever is ·confusing [troubling] you with such ideas will ·be punished [pay the penalty; bear the condemnation], ·no matter who he is [whoever he may be].


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My brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching ·that a man must be circumcised [circumcision; some were evidently accusing Paul of this], why am I still being ·attacked [persecuted]? If I still taught circumcision, ·my preaching about the cross would not be a problem [the scandal/offense of the cross has been removed/abolished].


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I wish the people who are bothering you would ·castrate themselves [make themselves eunuchs; cut it off]! [Paul sarcastically says that if circumcision is so helpful, why not go even further?]


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My brothers and sisters, God called you to ·be free [freedom], but do not use your freedom as an ·excuse to do what pleases [opportunity/occasion for] your ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh]. [But; Rather] Serve each other with love.


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[For] The whole law is ·made complete [summed up; fulfilled] in this one command: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself [].”


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[But] If you go on ·hurting each other and tearing each other apart [biting and devouring one another], be careful, or you will completely ·destroy [or consume] each other.


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The Spirit and Human Nature So I tell you: ·Live [Walk] ·by following [guided by; in the power of; by] the Spirit. Then you will not do what your ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh] ·wants [desires; craves].


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Our ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh] ·wants [desires] what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit ·wants [desires] what is against our ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh]. [For] The two are ·against [opposed to; or hostile toward] each other, so you cannot do just what you ·please [want].


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The ·wrong things the sinful self does [works of the flesh/sinful nature] are ·clear [evident; obvious]: ·being sexually unfaithful [sexual immorality], ·not being pure [impurity], ·taking part in sexual sins [depravity; promiscuity],


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·worshiping gods [idolatry], ·doing witchcraft [sorcery], ·hating [hostility; antagonism], ·making trouble [discord; strife], being jealous, ·being angry [rage], ·being selfish [rivalries], ·making people angry with each other [dissensions], ·causing divisions among people [factions],


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feeling envy, being drunk, ·having wild and wasteful parties [carousings; orgies], and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God’s kingdom.


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But the ·Spirit produces the fruit of [fruit of the Spirit is] love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, ·faithfulness [or faith],


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gentleness, self-control. ·There is no law that says these things are wrong [or No law can oppose such things].


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Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified ·their own sinful selves [the sinful nature; the flesh]. They have given up ·their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do [its passions and desires].


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·We [If/Since we…] ·get our new life from the Spirit [live by the Spirit], so we should ·follow [be guided by; walk in step with] the Spirit.


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We must not be ·proud [conceited] or ·make trouble with [provoke] each other or be ·jealous [envious] of each other.


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Help Each Other Brothers and sisters, if ·someone in your group [a person] ·does something wrong [or is overcome by some trangression/sin; or is discovered/caught in some trangression/sin], you who are spiritual should go to that person and ·gently help make him right again [restore him gently/with a gentle spirit]. But be careful, ·because you might [or so that you won’t] be tempted to sin, too.


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By ·helping each other with your troubles [bearing each other’s burdens], you truly ·obey [accomplish; fulfill] the law of Christ.


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If anyone thinks he is ·important [something] when he really is not, he is only ·fooling [deceiving; deluding] himself.


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Each person should ·judge [examine; test] his own ·actions [or achievements; work] and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done.


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Anyone who is ·learning the teaching of God [being instructed in the word] should share all the good things he has with his teacher.


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Life Is like Planting a Field Do not be ·fooled [deceived; mistaken]: You cannot ·cheat [mock; make a fool of] God. People ·harvest only what they plant [reap what they sow].


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If they plant ·to satisfy [or in the field of; into; to] their ·sinful selves [sinful nature; flesh], ·their sinful selves will bring them ruin [they will reap destruction from the flesh]. But if they plant ·to please [or in the field of; into; to] the Spirit, they will ·receive [reap; harvest] eternal life from the Spirit.


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We must not become ·tired [or discouraged] of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life ·at the right [or in due] time if we do not give up.


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[Therefore; So then] When we have the opportunity to ·help [do good to] anyone, we should do it. But ·we should give special attention [especially] to those who are in the ·family [household] of ·believers [faith].


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Paul Ends His Letter See what large letters I use to write this ·myself [with my own hand; added to authenticate the letter; the rest had likely been dictated].


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Some people are trying to force you to be circumcised ·so the Jews will accept them [or to impress others by external standards; to make a good showing in the flesh]. They do this only to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ [the Gospel message of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross].


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[For] Those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so they can ·brag [boast] ·about what they forced you to do [in your flesh].


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·I hope I will never [May it never be that I] ·brag [boast] about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. ·Through that cross [or Through Jesus Christ; …through which/whom] the world has been crucified to me and I have been crucified to the world.


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It ·is not important [makes no difference; is nothing] if a man is circumcised or uncircumcised. The important thing is ·being the new people God has made [a new creation; ].


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Peace and mercy to those who ·follow [walk/live by] this rule—and to ·all of God’s people [the Israel of God; either: (1) Jewish Christians or (2) the church as the “new Israel”].


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·So [or In conclusion; or From now on] do not give me any more trouble. [For] I ·have scars on my body that show I belong to Jesus [bear the marks of Jesus on my body; from his many beatings for the Gospel; perhaps also indicating his “branding” as a slave of Jesus Christ].


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From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus. ·I am an apostle because that is what God wanted […by the will of God]. To ·God’s holy people [the saints] living in Ephesus [a prominent city in the Roman province of Asia, present-day western Turkey; ], ·believers in [or who are faithful to] Christ Jesus:


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Spiritual Blessings in Christ ·Praise be to [or Blessed is] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly ·world [realms; places].


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·That is [or Just as; or For; Because], in Christ, he chose us before the ·world was made [foundation of the world] so that we would be his holy people—people ·without blame [or unblemished; as are sacrificial animals] before him.


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Because of his love [this phrase may go with the previous sentence], God ·had already decided to make us his own children [predestined us for adoption] through Jesus Christ. That was what he wanted and what pleased him,


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and it brings praise to God because of his ·wonderful [glorious] grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in ·Christ, the One he loves [the Beloved].


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In ·Christ [him] we ·are set free [have been redeemed/purchased] by ·the blood of his death [his blood; blood signifies his sacrificial death], and so we have forgiveness of sins. ·How rich is [or This redemption reveals the wealth of; …according to the riches of] God’s grace,


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which he has ·given to us so fully and freely [lavished on us]. With ·full [all] wisdom and understanding [this phrase may go with the previous sentence],


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God let us know ·his secret purpose [or the mystery of his will; a “mystery” in Scripture is something God had not previously disclosed]. This was what ·God wanted [pleased him], and he ·planned to do it [or set it forth; publicly revealed it] through Christ.


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His goal was to carry out his plan, ·when the right time came [or at the time of fulfillment; in the fullness of the times], that all things in heaven and on earth would be ·joined together [unified; or summed up; or renewed] in Christ as the head.


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In Christ we ·were chosen to be God’s people [have received/were given our part of an inheritance], ·because from the very beginning God had decided this [having been predestined] in keeping with his plan. And he is the One who ·makes everything agree [or accomplishes everything in accord] with what he decides and wants.


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We are the first people who hoped in ·Christ [the Messiah], and we were chosen so that we would bring praise to God’s glory.


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So it is with you. When you heard the ·true teaching [message/word of truth]—the ·Good News about [Gospel of] your salvation—you believed in Christ. ·And in Christ, God put his special mark of ownership on you by giving you […having been sealed with] the Holy Spirit that he had promised.


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That Holy Spirit is the ·guarantee [down payment; deposit] ·that we will receive what God promised for his people [of our inheritance] until ·God gives full freedom to those who are his [or we acquire possession of it; the redemption of the possession; ]—to bring praise to God’s glory.


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Paul’s Prayer That is why ·since [or because] I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all ·God’s people [the saints],


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I ·have not stopped [never cease] giving thanks to God for you. I always remember you in my prayers,


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asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you ·a spirit of wisdom [or spiritual wisdom; or the Spirit of wisdom] and revelation so that you will know him better.


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I pray also that ·you will have greater understanding in your heart [the eyes of your heart may be enlightened] so you will ·know [comprehend] the hope to which he has called us and that you will know ·how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised [the riches of his glorious inheritance for; or the glorious wealth of an inheritance that God possesses in] ·his holy people [the saints].


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And you will know that God’s power is ·very [exceedingly; overwhelmingly] great for us who believe. That power ·is the same as [or was demonstrated in] the great strength


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God ·used [exerted] to raise Christ from the dead and ·put [seat] him at his right ·side [hand; ; ] in the heavenly ·world [realm; places].


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God has put Christ ·over [far above] all rulers, authorities, powers, and ·kings [lords; dominion], and every other ·title given [name that is named] not only in this ·world [age] but also in the ·next [coming one].


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God ·put [subjected] everything under his ·power [feet; ] and ·made him the head over everything for the church [or gave him to the church as head over all things], which is his body.


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·The church is filled with Christ [or The church completes Christ; …the fullness of the one], who fills ·everything in every way [or all things everywhere; all in all].


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We Now Have Life In the past you were ·spiritually dead [dead] ·because of [or in] your sins and ·the things you did against God [transgressions].


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Yes, in the past you ·lived [walked] ·the way the world lives [according to the course/ways/age of this world], following the ruler [Satan] of the ·evil powers that are above the earth [dominion/authority of the air; probably demonic forces]. That same spirit is now working in ·those who refuse to obey God [the children/sons of disobedience].


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In the past all of us lived ·like [or among] them, ·trying to please [or giving in to the cravings of] our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; flesh] and doing all the things our ·bodies [flesh] and minds wanted. We ·should have suffered God’s anger because we were sinful by nature [were by nature children/sons of wrath]. ·We were the same as all other people […just like the rest; of mankind].


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Though we were spiritually dead because of ·the things we did against God [our transgressions], he ·gave us new life [brought us to life] with Christ. You have been saved by God’s grace.


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And he raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the ·heavens [heavenly places/realms]. He did this for those in Christ Jesus


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so that ·for all future time [in the ages to come] he could show the ·very great [exceeding; overwhelming] riches of his grace by being kind to us in Christ Jesus.


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·I mean that [or For; Because] you have been saved by grace through ·believing [faith]. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.


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It was not the result of ·your own efforts [works], so ·you cannot [no one can] ·brag about it [boast].


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·God has made us what we are [For we are his handiwork/workmanship/work of art]. In Christ Jesus, God ·made [created] us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.


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One in Christ [Therefore] Remember that you ·were born as Gentiles [are Gentiles in the flesh], the ones called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “circumcised.” (·Their circumcision is only something they themselves do on their bodies […performed in the flesh by hands].)


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Remember that ·in the past [at that time/season] you were without ·Christ [the Messiah]. You were ·not citizens [excluded from the citizenship] of Israel, and you ·had no part in [were aliens/strangers to] the ·agreements with the promise that God made to his people [covenants of promise; the Abrahamic (), Mosaic (), and Davidic () covenants.] You had no hope, and you did not know God.


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But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away from God are brought near through the blood of ·Christ’s death [Christ; blood symbolizing his sacrificial death].


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Christ himself is our peace. He made ·both Jews and Gentiles one people [both one], and broke down the wall of ·hate [hostility; enmity] that divided them [the wall beyond which Gentiles could not pass in the Jerusalem temple, or the law of Moses that distinguished Jew from Gentile (see )] ·by giving his own body [in his flesh; this phrase may go with the following sentence].


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He did this by ·ending [setting aside; nullifying] the law of commands and rules ·by giving his own body [in his flesh; this phrase may go with the previous sentence]. His purpose was to make the two groups of people become one new ·people [humanity; person; man] in him and in this way make peace.


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It was also Christ’s purpose to ·end [put to death; kill] the ·hatred [hostility; enmity] between the two groups, to make them into one body, and to ·bring them back [reconcile them] to God. ·Christ did all this with his death on the cross […through the cross].


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Christ came and ·preached [proclaimed the Good News of] peace [] to you who were ·far away from God [far away/off], and to those who were ·near to God [near; ].


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·Yes, it is [For; or So that] through Christ we all have ·the right to come [free access] to the Father ·in [by] one Spirit.


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Now you Gentiles are not foreigners or strangers any longer, but are citizens together with ·God’s holy people [the saints]. You belong to God’s ·family [household].


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·You are like a building that was built […having been built] on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus himself is the ·most important stone [cornerstone; or capstone; ; ] in that building,


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and that whole building is joined together in Christ. He makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord.


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And in Christ you, too, are being ·built together with the Jews [built together] into a place where God lives through the Spirit.


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Paul’s Work in Telling the Good News ·So [For this reason] I, Paul, a prisoner [Paul is probably writing from house arrest in Rome, about ad 60; see ] of Christ Jesus ·for [for the sake of] you Gentiles—[Paul is about to pray for the Ephesians, but instead digresses into a description of his ministry until ].


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Surely you have heard that God gave me this ·work [task; stewardship; commission] ·to tell you about his grace [of God’s grace for you].


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He let me know his ·secret [mystery; ] by ·showing it to me [revelation]. I have already written ·a little [briefly] about this [either earlier in this letter or previously].


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·If you read what I wrote then [or By reading this], you can see that I truly understand the ·secret [mystery] ·about [or revealed by; or that consists of; of] ·Christ [or the Messiah].


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·People [The sons of men; a Hebrew way of referring to people] who lived in other ·times [generations] were not told that secret. But now, through the Spirit, God has ·shown [revealed] that secret to his holy apostles and prophets.


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This is that ·secret [mystery]: that through the ·Good News [Gospel] the Gentiles ·will share with the Jews in God’s blessing [are co-heirs]. They belong to the same body, and they share together in the promise that God made in Christ Jesus.


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By God’s special gift of grace given to me through ·his power [the working out/exercise of his power], I became a servant ·to tell that Good News [of this Gospel].


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I am the least important of all ·God’s people [the saints], but God gave me this ·gift [or grace]—to tell the Gentiles the ·Good News [Gospel] about the riches of Christ, which are ·too great to understand fully [unfathomable; or boundless].


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And God gave me the work of ·telling [making plain; enlightening] all people about the ·plan for [administration of; the same word translated “work” in ] his ·secret [mystery], which has been hidden ·in [or by] him ·since the beginning of time [from the ages]. He is the One who created everything.


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His purpose was that through the church all the rulers and powers in the heavenly ·world [realm; places; , ; ] will now know God’s ·wisdom, which has so many forms [multi-faceted/multi-dimensional wisdom].


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·This agrees with […according to] ·the plan God had since the beginning of time [his eternal purpose/plan], which he accomplished ·through [or in] Christ Jesus our Lord.


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In Christ we ·can come before [have access to] God with ·freedom [boldness; freedom to speak] and ·without fear [with confidence]. We can do this ·through faith in Christ [or because of Christ’s faithfulness].


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So I ·ask you not to become [or pray that you would not be] discouraged because of the ·sufferings [trials] I am having for you. My ·sufferings [trials; affliction] are ·for your glory [to bring you honor/eternal glory].


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The Love of Christ So [Paul begins again the prayer he started in ] I ·bow in prayer [kneel] before the Father


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from whom ·every [or the whole] ·family [a play on words, since the words “father” and “family” are related] in heaven and on earth gets its true name.


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I ask the Father ·in his great glory [or from the treasures of his glory; or out of his glorious riches] to give you the power to be strong ·inwardly [in the inner person] through his Spirit.


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I pray that Christ will ·live [make his home] in your hearts by faith and that your life will be ·strong in love and be built on love [rooted and grounded in love].


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And I pray that you and all ·God’s holy people [the saints] will have the power to ·understand [comprehend; grasp] the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is.


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Christ’s love is ·greater than anyone can ever know [beyond comprehension/knowledge], but I pray that you will be able to know that love. ·Then […so that] you can be filled with the fullness of God.


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·Glory be to God, who can [Now to the One who is able to] do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine through his power working in us.


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To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all ·time [generations], forever and ever. Amen.


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The Unity of the Body [Therefore,] As a prisoner [] ·for [because I belong to; or in] the Lord, I urge you to ·live [walk] in a manner worthy of the calling ·you have received [to which you were called].


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·Always be [or Be completely] humble, gentle, and patient, ·accepting [putting up/bearing with] each other in love.


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Make every effort to preserve the unity ·of [provided by; available through] the Spirit ·in [through] the ·peace that joins us together [bond of peace].


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There is one God and Father of everything. ·He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything […who is over all and through all and in all].


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Each one of us has been given the ·special gift of grace [grace; or gift], ·showing how generous Christ is [or in proportion to Christ’s gift; according to the measure of Christ’s gift].


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That is why it says in the Scriptures, “When he ·went up [ascended] to the heights, he ·led a parade of captives [or took captives into captivity], and he gave gifts to people [].”


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When it says, “He ·went up [ascended],” what does it mean? ·It means […except] that he first ·came down [descended] to the ·earth [or lower regions, namely the earth; or the depths of the earth; probably refers to (1) the Incarnation, though possibly (2) Christ’s descent to Hades after his death (), or (3) Christ’s descent through the Spirit at Pentecost ()].


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So the one who ·came down [descended] is the same one who ·went up [ascended] above all the heavens. ·Christ did that […in order] to fill ·everything with his presence [all things].


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And ·Christ gave gifts to people—he made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to have the work of caring for and teaching God’s people [he himself gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors/shepherds, and teachers].


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·Christ gave those gifts to prepare […to equip] God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.


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This work must continue until we ·are all joined together in the same faith [or all reach unity in the faith] and in the same knowledge of the Son of God. We must become like ·a mature person [or the perfect Man; Christ], ·growing until we become like Christ and have his perfection [to the measure of the stature of Christ’s fullness].


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Then we will no longer be ·babies [children]. We will not be tossed about like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be ·influenced by every new teaching [carried along by every wind of (false) teaching] we hear from people who are trying to ·fool [trick] us. They ·make plans [scheme] and try any kind of trick to fool people into following ·the wrong path [error; false teaching].


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·No! [Instead; Rather] ·Speaking [or Living out; Practicing] the truth with love, we will grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head.


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·The whole body depends on Christ, and […through/by whom] all the parts of the body are joined and held together. Each ·part [supporting joint/ligament] ·does its own work [performs its function] to make the whole body grow and ·be strong with [to build itself up in] love.


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The Way You Should Live ·In the Lord’s name [or By the Lord’s authority; In the Lord], I ·tell you [speak and testify to] this. Do not continue ·living [walking] like ·those who do not believe [the pagans; the Gentiles], whose thoughts are ·worth nothing [futile].


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They ·do not understand [are darkened in their minds/understanding] and they are ·separated [excluded; alienated] from the life ·God gives [or God has; of God] because of their ignorance ·and because of [or caused by] ·their stubbornness [or their closed minds; the stubbornness of their heart/mind].


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They have lost ·all feeling of shame [or any sense of right and wrong; all feeling/sensitivity], and they ·use their lives for doing evil [abandon themselves to indecency/depravity]. They ·continually want to do [or greedily pursue] all kinds of ·evil [impurity].


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But ·what you learned in Christ was not like this [or that is not how you learned about Christ; you did not learn Christ that way].


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·I know that […if indeed] you heard ·about him [or him], and you ·are in him, so you were taught the truth that is in Jesus [or were taught by him, because the truth is in Jesus].


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You were taught to ·leave [put off; lay aside] your old ·self [person]—to stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self ·becomes worse [is decaying/being corrupted], because ·people are fooled by the evil things they want to do [of the deceitfulness of their desires].


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to ·become [put on; clothe yourself with] the new ·self [person; or Man; become like Christ]. That new person is created ·to be like God [or in God’s image; according to God]—truly good and holy [or in the righteousness and holiness that comes from truth].


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So you must stop telling lies. ·Tell each other the truth [Let each one of you speak truthfully to his neighbor; ], because we ·all belong to each other in the same body [are members of one another].


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·When you are angry, [or Be angry, and] do not sin [; there is a time for righteous anger, but it must not result in sin], and ·be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day [don’t let the sun set on your anger].


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Those who are stealing must stop stealing and start working. They should ·earn an honest living for themselves [do something good/useful with their hands]. Then they will have something to share with those who ·are poor [have need].


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Don’t ·say anything that will hurt others [let any rotten/unhealthy word come from your mouth], but only say what is ·helpful [good] to ·make others stronger [build others up] ·and meet [according to] their needs. Then what you say will ·do good [give grace; be a gift] to those who listen to you.


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And do not ·make the Holy Spirit sad [grieve/bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit]. ·The Spirit is God’s proof that you belong to him and he will make you free when the final day comes […by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption].


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Do not be bitter or angry or ·mad [raging]. Never shout angrily or ·say things to hurt [slander; insult] others. ·Never do anything [Get rid of all kinds of] evil.


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Be kind and ·loving [compassionate; tenderhearted] to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.


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·Live a life of love [Walk in love] just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as a ·sweet-smelling [fragrant] offering and sacrifice to God.


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But there must be ·no [no hint/mention/rumor of] sexual sin among you, or any kind of ·evil [impurity] or greed. Those things are not ·right [proper; fitting] for God’s holy people.


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Also, there must be no ·evil talk [obscenity; filthiness] among you, and you must not speak foolishly or tell ·evil [crude; coarse; vulgar] jokes. These things are ·not right for you [out of place/character]. Instead, you should be giving thanks to God.


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[For] You can be sure of this: No one will have a ·place [inheritance] in the kingdom of Christ and of God who sins sexually, or does ·evil [impure] things, or is greedy. Anyone who is greedy is ·serving a false god [an idolater].


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Do not let anyone ·fool [deceive] you ·by telling you things that are not true [or with shallow philosophies; with empty words], because these things will bring God’s ·anger [wrath] on ·those who do not obey him [the children/sons of disobedience].


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In the past you were ·full of darkness [darkness], but now you are ·full of light [light] in the Lord. So ·live [walk] like children ·who belong to [living in; of] the light.


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·Light brings [For the fruit of the light is] every kind of goodness, ·right living [righteousness], and truth.


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·Have nothing to do with [Take no part in] the things done in darkness, which are ·not worth anything [unfruitful]. But ·show that they are wrong [expose them].


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and everything that is ·made easy to see [visible; exposed] ·can become [or becomes a; is] light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper! Rise from death, and Christ will ·shine on [give light to] you [likely an early Christian hymn based on and ].”


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So be very careful how you ·live [walk]. Do not ·live [walk] like those who are ·not wise [foolish], but ·live wisely [like those who are wise].


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·Take advantage of every opportunity [or Make the most of your time; …redeeming the time/season], because ·these are evil times [the days are evil].


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So do not be ·foolish [ignorant] but ·learn what the Lord wants you to do [or understand the Lord’s will].


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Do not be drunk with wine, which ·will ruin you [is debauchery/reckless living], but be filled with the Spirit.


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·Speak […speaking] to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord.


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·Always give […always giving] thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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Wives and Husbands ·Yield [Submit; Be subject; …yielding/submitting; grammatically linked to the previous sentence, and so part of being filled with the Spirit] to each other out of ·reverence [respect; fear; awe] for Christ.


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because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. And he is the Savior of the body, which is the church.


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As the church ·yields [submits; is subject] to Christ, so you wives should ·yield [submit; be subject] to your husbands in everything [; ].


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to ·make her holy [sanctify her], cleansing her in the washing of water by the word [the “washing” may be (1) baptism, (2) spiritual cleansing (), or (3) an analogy drawn from the Jewish prenuptial bath (); the “word” may be (1) the Gospel, (2) a baptismal formula, or (3) the confession of the one baptized].


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He did this so that he could present the church to himself ·like a bride in all her beauty [in splendor; glorious], with no ·evil or sin [stain or wrinkle] or any other ·wrong thing in it [such thing], but ·pure [holy] and ·without fault [blameless].


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In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself.


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[For] No one ever hates his own ·body [flesh], but feeds and takes care of it. And that is what Christ does for the church,


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The Scripture says, “·So [For this reason] a man will leave his father and mother and be ·united [joined] with his wife, and the two will become one ·body [flesh; ].”


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This ·secret [mystery] is ·very important [or great; profound]—I am talking about Christ and the church.


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·But [However; In any case; or To sum up] each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself, and a wife must ·respect [reverence; ] her husband.


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Children and Parents Children, obey your parents ·as the Lord wants [in the Lord], because this is ·the right thing to do [right; just].


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The command says, “Honor your father and mother [; ].” This is the first command that has a promise with it—


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·Fathers [or Parents; ], do not make your children angry, but raise them with the ·training [discipline] and ·teaching [instruction] of the Lord [].


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Slaves and Masters ·Slaves [Bondservants], obey your ·masters here on earth [human masters; masters according to the flesh; ; ] with ·respect [fear] and ·fear [trembling] and from a sincere heart, ·just as you [or as you would] obey Christ.


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You must do this not only ·while they are watching you [with eye-service], ·to please them [as people-pleasers]. But as ·slaves [bondservants] of Christ, do ·what God wants [God’s will] ·with all your [or from the] heart.


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Do your work ·with enthusiasm [willingly; cheerfully]. Work as if you were serving the Lord, not people.


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·Remember […knowing] that the Lord will give ·a reward [or back] to everyone, slave or free, for doing good.


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Masters, treat your slaves the same way. Do not threaten them. Remember that the One who is your Master and their Master is in heaven, and he ·treats everyone alike [has no favorites; shows no favoritism].


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[For] Our ·fight [conflict; struggle] is not against ·people on earth [flesh and blood] but against the rulers and authorities and the ·powers [or cosmic powers/rulers] of this ·world’s darkness [darkness], against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly ·world [realm; places].


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·That is why you need to [For this reason,] put on God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil [persecution generally or end-time tribulation] you will be able to ·stand strong [keep your ground; resist the enemy]. And ·when you have finished the whole fight [after you have done/accomplished everything], you will still be standing.


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So stand ·strong [or ready], with the belt of truth tied around your waist and the ·body armor [breastplate] of ·right living [a righteous life; or God’s own righteousness/justice; righteousness].


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On your feet wear the ·Good News [Gospel] of peace ·to help you stand strong [for firm footing; or to be fully prepared].


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And ·also [in addition to all this; or in all circumstances] use the shield of faith with which you can ·stop [extinguish] all the ·burning arrows [fiery darts] of the Evil One.


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·Accept [Receive; or Take] the helmet of salvation, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the ·word [message] of God.


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Pray ·in [or in dependence on] the Spirit at all times with all ·kinds of prayers [prayers and requests], asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ·ready [alert] ·and never give up [with all perseverance]. Always pray for all ·God’s people [the saints].


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Also pray for me that when I ·speak [open my mouth], God will give me words so that I can tell the ·secret [mystery] of the ·Good News [Gospel] ·without fear [confidently; boldly].


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·For this Good News […for which] I am an ambassador in ·prison [chains; ]. Pray that I will speak ·it [or for him; or in him] ·without fear [boldly; confidently], as I should.


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Final Greetings Tychicus [; ; ; ], our ·brother whom we love [dear/beloved brother] and a faithful servant ·of the Lord’s work [or in the Lord] will tell you everything that is happening with me. Then you will know how I am and what I am doing.


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I am sending him to you for this reason—so that you will know how we are, and he can encourage ·you [your hearts].


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Peace and love with faith to you brothers and sisters from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


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Grace to all of you who love our Lord Jesus Christ with ·love that never ends [an imperishable/undying love].


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From Paul and Timothy [; ; ; 1 and 2 Timothy], ·servants [slaves; bondservants] of Christ Jesus. To all of ·God’s holy people [the saints] in Christ Jesus who live in Philippi [a city located in Macedonia, present-day northern Greece; ], including your ·overseers [bishops; perhaps the same as elders] and ·deacons [servants; ministers]:


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I thank God for ·the help you gave me [your partnership/participation] in ·spreading the Good News [the Good News/Gospel] from the first day you believed until now.


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God began doing a good work in you, and I am ·sure [confident; persuaded] he will continue it until it is ·finished [completed; perfected] ·when Jesus Christ comes again [on the day of Christ Jesus; the final day of judgment and reward].


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And I know that I am right to think like this about all of you, because ·I have you in my [or you have me in your] heart. All of you ·share [are partners/co-sharers] in God’s grace with me while I am in ·prison [chains; Paul is probably writing from house arrest in Rome, about ad 60; see ] and while I am defending and ·proving the truth of [confirming] the ·Good News [Gospel].


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[For] God ·knows [is my witness] that I ·want [long] to see you very much, because I love all of you with the ·love [affection] of Christ Jesus.


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This is my prayer for you: that your love will ·grow [increase; abound] more and more; that you will have knowledge and ·understanding [insight; discernment] with your love;


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that you will ·see the difference between good and bad and will choose the good [discern/test and prove what is best]; that you will be pure and ·without wrong [blameless] ·for the coming [in the day; ] of Christ;


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that you will be filled with the ·good things produced in your life by Christ [fruit of righteousness that comes through Christ] to bring glory and praise to God.


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Paul’s Troubles Help the Work I want you brothers and sisters to know that what has happened to me has helped to ·spread [advance] the ·Good News [Gospel].


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All the ·palace guards [imperial guard; praetorium; Caesar’s elite troops] and everyone else knows that I am in ·prison [chains] ·because I am a believer in [or for the cause of] Christ.


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Because I am in prison, most of the ·believers [brothers (and sisters)] have become more ·bold [confident] in the Lord and ·are not afraid [dare without fear] to speak the word of God.


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It is true that some preach about Christ because of ·jealousy [envy] and ·ambition [rivalry], but others preach about Christ because ·they want to help [of good will/intentions].


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They preach because they have love, and they know that ·God gave me the work of [I have been appointed for; or I have been put here (in prison) for] defending the ·Good News [Gospel].


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But the others preach about Christ for ·selfish [selfish ambition; or rivalry] and ·wrong reasons [not sincerely], wanting to make trouble for me in ·prison [my chains].


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·But it doesn’t matter [What difference does it make? or What is the result? For what?]. The important thing is that in every way, whether ·for right or wrong reasons [from false motives or true], they are preaching about Christ. So ·I am happy [in this I rejoice], ·and [indeed] I will continue to ·be happy [rejoice].


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Because I know ·this trouble [this] will ·bring my [result in] ·freedom [deliverance; or salvation], through your prayers and the ·help of [support from] the Spirit of Jesus Christ.


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I expect and hope that I will not ·fail Christ in [be ashamed about] anything but that I will have the ·courage [boldness] now, as always, ·to show the greatness of Christ [or so that Christ will be exalted] in my ·life here on earth [body], whether I live or die.


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[For] To me ·the only important thing about living [to live] is Christ, and ·dying would be profit for me [to die is gain/profit].


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If I continue living in my ·body [flesh], ·I will be able to work for the Lord [this is productive/fruitful work for me]. I do not know what to choose—living or dying.


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·It is hard to choose [I am torn/hard pressed] between the two. I ·want [desire; long] to leave this life and be with Christ, which is much better,


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Since I am sure of this, I know I will stay with you ·to help you grow and have [for your progress/success and] joy in your faith.


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[…so that] ·You will be very happy [or Because of me, your confidence/pride will increase; Your boasting in me will abound] in Christ Jesus when I am with you again.


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·Only one thing concerns me [or Whatever happens; Only]: Be sure that you ·live [conduct yourselves; live as citizens] in a way that ·brings honor to [is worthy of] the ·Good News [Gospel] of Christ. ·Then […so that] whether I come and ·visit [see] you or am away from you, I will hear that you are standing strong ·with one purpose [with one spirit; or in the one Spirit], that you work together ·as one [with one mind/soul] for the faith ·of [or that is; or in] the ·Good News [Gospel],


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and that you are not ·frightened [intimidated] in any way by ·those who are against you [your opponents]. All of this is ·proof [evidence; a sign] that ·your enemies [they] will be destroyed but that you will be saved. And ·this salvation [or this proof/evidence/sign; this] is from God.


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·God gave you the honor [For it has been granted/given to you] not only of believing in Christ but also of suffering for him.


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You yourselves are having the same kind of struggles that you saw ·I had when I was with you [in me], and ·you hear that I am still having now [now hear in me].


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[Therefore,] ·Does your life in Christ give you strength? [If there is any encouragement in Christ…] ·Does his love comfort you? […if any comfort from (his) love…] ·Do we share together in the Spirit? […if any fellowship/sharing of the Spirit…] ·Do you have mercy and kindness? […if any mercy/affection and kindness/compassion…]


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·If so […then], ·make me very happy [fulfill/complete my joy] by ·having the same thoughts [being like-minded/of one mind], sharing the same love, and having one ·mind [heart; soul] and ·purpose [goal; mind].


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When you do things, do not let ·selfishness [rivalry; selfish ambition] or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more ·honor [regard; value] to others than to yourselves.


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Do not ·be interested only in your own life [look out for your own interests], but ·be interested in the lives of others [look out for others’ interests].


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Be Unselfish like Christ In your lives you must ·think and act like [have the same attitude as] Christ Jesus. [What follows may be from an early Christian hymn.]


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·Christ himself was like God in everything [Who, being in the form of God]. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be ·used for his own benefit [or grasped; seized; held on to].


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But he ·gave up his place with God and made himself nothing [emptied himself]. He ·became like [took the form of] a ·servant [slave; bondservant] and was born ·as a man [in the likeness of humanity/men].


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And ·when he was living [being found in appearance/likeness] as a ·man [human being], he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even ·when that caused his [to the point of] death—death on a cross.


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So God ·raised [exalted] him to the highest place. God ·made his name [or gave him the name] ·greater than [far above] every other name


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so that every knee will bow to the name of Jesus— everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.


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And ·everyone [every tongue] will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and bring glory to God the Father.


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Be the People God Wants You to Be My ·dear friends [beloved], you have always obeyed God when I was with you. It is even more important that you obey now while I am away from you. ·Keep on working to complete [Continue working out] your salvation with ·fear [awe; reverence] and trembling,


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because God is working in you ·to help you want to do and be able to do [both to will/desire and to work] what pleases him.


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Then you will be ·innocent [blameless] and ·without any wrong [innocent; pure; harmless], God’s children without ·fault [blemish; as are sacrificial animals]. ·But you are living with people that are crooked and evil […in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; ], among whom you shine like stars in the ·dark world [or sky; world].


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You ·offer [or hold firmly/fast to] the ·teaching that gives life [message/word of life]. So ·when Christ comes again [on the day of Christ; judgment day], I can ·be happy [be proud; boast] because I ·ran the race and won [did not run for nothing/in vain]. ·My work was not wasted […nor did I labor for nothing/in vain].


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Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. [Even] If I ·have to offer my own blood [am poured out as a drink offering] with your sacrifice, I will be ·happy [rejoicing] and full of joy with all of you.


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Timothy and Epaphroditus I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon. […so that] I will be ·happy [encouraged] to learn how you are.


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Other people ·are interested only in their own lives [pursue their own interests/concerns], not ·in the work [the interests/concerns; the things] of Jesus Christ.


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You know ·the kind of person Timothy is [his tested and proven character]. You know he has served with me in ·telling the Good News [the Gospel], as a son serves his father.


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[Therefore] I ·plan [hope] to send him to you quickly when I know what will happen to me [probably referring to the outcome of Paul’s trial in Rome].


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[But; or Meanwhile,] I thought ·I should [it necessary to] send back to you Epaphroditus [], my ·brother in Christ [brother] and coworker, ·who serves with me in Christ’s army [and fellow soldier]. He was your messenger, sent as a ·servant [minister] to meet my needs.


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I am sending him because he ·wants very much to see [greatly misses; longs for] all of you. He is ·worried [distressed] because you heard that he was sick.


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Yes, he was sick, and nearly died, but God had mercy on him and me too so that I would not have ·more sadness [sorrow upon sorrow].


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I ·want very much [am very eager] to send him to you so that when you see him you can ·be happy [rejoice], and I can stop worrying about you.


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because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to give me the help you could not give in your service to me.


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The Importance of Christ [Furthermore, or Finally,] My brothers and sisters, ·be full of joy [rejoice] in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it ·will help you to be more ready [is a safeguard/protection for you].


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·Watch out for [Beware] those who do evil, ·who are like dogs [beware the dogs; a derogatory reference to Paul’s opponents], ·who demand to cut the body [beware the mutilation; a mocking reference to those who demand circumcision of Gentile believers].


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[For] We are the ·ones who are truly circumcised [(true) circumcision]. We ·worship [serve] God ·through [or in] his Spirit, and ·our pride is [we boast/glory] in Christ Jesus. We do not put ·trust [reliance; confidence] in ·ourselves or anything we can do [human ability/effort; the flesh],


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although I might be able to put ·trust [reliance; confidence] in ·myself [human ability/effort; the flesh]. If anyone thinks he has a reason to ·trust [rely; have confidence] in ·himself [human ability/effort; the flesh], he should know that I have greater reason.


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I was circumcised eight days after my birth [; ]. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a ·Hebrew, and my parents were Hebrews [or true Hebrew; Hebrew through and through; Hebrew of Hebrews]. With regard to the ·law of Moses [law], I was a Pharisee [Pharisees strictly followed the OT law and expanded on it with many traditions].


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·I was so enthusiastic [With regard to (religious) zeal,] I persecuted the church. With regard to ·obedience to the law of Moses [righteousness based on the law] I was ·faultless [blameless].


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Those things were ·important [valuable; or assets] to me, but now I think they are ·worth nothing [or liabilities; a loss] because of Christ.


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Not only those things, but I think that all things are ·worth nothing [or liabilities; a loss] ·compared with [or because of] the ·greatness [superior/supreme value] of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have lost all those things, and now I ·know they are [consider them] ·worthless trash [garbage; refuse; excrement]. ·This allows me to have […so that I may gain] Christ


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and to ·belong to [be united with; be found in] him. ·Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law […not having my own righteousness from the law], but because ·I believed in Christ [of faith in Christ; or of the faithfulness of Christ]. This is the ·right relationship with [or righteousness of/from] God that comes through ·faith [or the faithfulness (of Christ)].


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I want to know Christ and the power ·that raised him from the dead [of his resurrection]. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death.


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·Then I have hope that […if somehow] I myself will ·be raised [reach/attain to the resurrection] from the dead.


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Continuing Toward Our Goal ·I do not mean [Not] that I have already ·achieved [obtained; taken hold of] it or have already ·been perfected [become mature; or reached the goal]. But I keep ·trying [pressing forward; striving; pursuing] to ·take hold of that for which [or make it my own because] Christ ·took hold of me [or made me his own].


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Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not ·yet reached that goal [taken hold of it], but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the ·past [things that are behind] and ·straining toward [stretching/reaching forward to] what is ahead,


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I keep ·trying to reach [pursuing; chasing] the goal and get the prize for which God called me ·to the life above [heavenward; upward] ·through [or in] Christ Jesus.


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All of us who are ·spiritually mature [perfect; complete] should think this way, too. And if there are things you ·do not agree with [think differently about], God will ·make them clear [or reveal this] to you.


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Brothers and sisters, ·all of you should try to follow my example [become imitators of me] and ·to copy [watch closely; pay attention to] those who ·live [walk] the way we ·showed [modeled it for] you.


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[For] Many people ·live [walk] like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about them, and ·it makes me cry to [with tears I] tell you about them now.


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·In the end, they will be destroyed [Their end/destiny is destruction]. ·They do whatever their bodies want [Their god is their stomach/belly], ·they are proud of their shameful acts [their glory is in their shame], and they think only about earthly things.


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But our ·homeland [or citizenship] is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.


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By his power to ·rule [subject to himself] all things, he will ·change [transform; transfigure] our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body.


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What the Christians Are to Do [Therefore; So then] My brothers and sisters, ·I love you and want to see you [my beloved and longed-for ones]. ·You bring me joy and make me proud of you […my joy and crown; ; a wreath bestowed for victory or honor], so stand ·strong [firm] in the Lord as I have told you, ·dear friends [beloved].


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I ·ask [urge; encourage; exhort] Euodia and Syntyche [two women in the Philippian congregation] to agree in the Lord.


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And I ask you, my ·faithful [true; genuine] ·friend [companion; yoke-partner; possibly a proper name: Syzygos], to help these women. They ·served [struggled; labored] with me in telling the ·Good News [Gospel], together with Clement and ·others who worked with me [the rest of my coworkers], whose names are written in the book of life [; ].


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Let everyone see that you are ·gentle [kind; considerate; patient]. The Lord is ·coming soon [or close at hand; near].


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Do not ·worry [be anxious] about anything, but pray and ·ask God for everything you need [or make your requests known to God], always giving thanks.


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And God’s peace, which ·is so great we cannot understand it [transcends/surpasses all comprehension], will ·keep [guard] your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


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[Finally; In conclusion; or Now then] Brothers and sisters, ·think about [focus your thoughts on; fill your minds with] things that are true and honorable and ·right [just] and pure and ·beautiful [lovely] and ·respected [commendable]. If there is anything that is ·good [morally excellent] and worthy of praise, ·think about [focus your thoughts on; fill your minds with] these things.


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Do what you learned and received and heard ·from [in] me, and what you saw ·me do [in me]. And the God ·who gives [of] peace will be with you.


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Paul Thanks the Christians I ·am very happy [rejoiced greatly] in the Lord that you have ·shown [renewed; revived] your ·care [concern] for me again. You continued to ·care [be concerned] about me, but ·there was no way for you [you had no opportunity] to show it.


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I am not telling you this because I need anything. [For] I have learned to be ·satisfied [content] ·whatever the circumstances [or with whatever I have].


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I know how to live when I am ·poor [in humble circumstances], and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the ·secret of being happy [secret] ·at any time in everything that happens [or in any and all circumstances], when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have ·more than I need [plenty; an abundance] and when I do not have enough.


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·But [However; Nevertheless] it was good that you ·helped [shared/partnered with] me ·when I needed it [in my trouble/trial].


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You Philippians remember ·when I first preached the Good News there [or when you first believed the Good News/Gospel; in the beginning of the Good News/Gospel; ]. When I left Macedonia [the northern part of present-day Greece; ], ·you were the only church that [no church except you alone] ·gave me help [shared/partnered with me in matters of giving and receiving; business terminology; the Philippians “invested” in Paul’s ministry and received back spiritual blessings].


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[For] Even when I was in Thessalonica [shortly after leaving Philippi; Thessalonica is southwest of Philippi; ] ·several times [both once and twice] you sent me things I needed.


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Really, it is not that I ·want to receive gifts from you [seek the gift], but I ·want you to have the good that comes from giving [seek the profit/fruit that increases to your account; more business terminology; ].


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And now I have ·everything [or received full payment], and more. I ·have all I need [or am fully supplied/filled up], because Epaphroditus [] brought your gifts to me. They are ·like a sweet-smelling offering to God [a fragrant aroma], a sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to him.


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[And] My God will ·meet [supply; fulfill] all of your needs ·from [according to] his ·wonderful riches [glorious riches; or riches in heaven/glory] in Christ Jesus.


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Greet each ·of God’s people [saint] in Christ Jesus. ·Those [The brothers (and sisters)] who are with me send greetings to you.


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All of ·God’s people [the saints] greet you, particularly those from ·the palace of Caesar [Caesar’s household; the soldiers, slaves, and freedmen engaged in imperial service].


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From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus. ·I am an apostle because that is what God wanted […by the will of God]. Also from Timothy [; ; ; 1 and 2 Timothy], our brother.


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To the ·holy [saints] and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ that live in Colossae [a city located in the Lycus Valley in the Roman province of Phrygia, present-day central Turkey]: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.


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·because we have [or ever since we; having] heard about the faith you have in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all ·of God’s people [the saints].


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You have this faith and love because of your hope, and what you hope for is ·kept safe [stored up; reserved] for you in heaven. You learned about this hope when you heard the ·message about the truth [or true message; word of truth], the ·Good News [Gospel]


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that ·was told [has come] to you. […just as] Everywhere in the world that ·Good News [Gospel] is ·bringing blessings [bearing fruit] and is growing. This has happened with you, too, ·since [from the day] you heard and ·understood the truth about [or truly understood] the grace of God.


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You learned about ·God’s grace [it] from Epaphras, our ·dear [beloved; much loved] fellow ·servant [slave; bondservant], who is a faithful ·servant [minister] of Christ ·for us [on our behalf]. [Epaphras apparently established the church at Colossae during Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus; .]


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Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we have ·continued [not ceased] praying for you, asking God ·that you will know fully what he wants [to fill you with the knowledge of his will], ·and that you will have great [in all] ·spiritual wisdom and understanding [or wisdom and understanding from the Spirit]


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so that you will live the kind of life that ·honors [is worthy of] and pleases the Lord in every way. You will produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God.


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·God will strengthen you […being strengthened] with ·his own great power [all power according to his glorious might] so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will ·be patient.


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And you will joyfully give thanks [or …have patience with joy, giving thanks] to the Father who has made you able to have a share in ·all that he has prepared for his people in the kingdom of light [the inheritance of the saints/holy ones in the light].


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·God […who] has ·freed [rescued; delivered] us from the ·power [authority; dominion] of darkness, and he brought us into the kingdom of his ·dear [dearly loved; beloved] Son,


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·who purchased our freedom [in whom we have redemption] ·and forgave our sins [or which is the forgiveness of sins].


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The Importance of Christ The Son […who] is ·the image of [exactly like; the visible representation of] the invisible God [; ]. He ·ranks higher than [is the firstborn of/over] ·everything that has been made [all creation; ].


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·Through his power [In him; or By him] all things were created [; ]—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, all ·powers [or heavenly authorities; thrones], ·authorities [dominions; kingdoms], ·lords [rulers], and ·rulers [authorities; these four may refer to angelic hierarchies, or to earthly and heavenly rulers]. All things were created through Christ and for Christ.


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He ·was there before anything was made [is before all things], and all things ·continue [endure; or hold together; unite] ·because of [or in] him.


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He is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning [meaning (1) the source of the church; (2) the creator of all things; or (3) the beginning/initiator of the end-time resurrection]. He is the ·first one who was raised [firstborn] from the dead. So in all things Jesus has ·first place [supremacy].


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God was pleased for all ·of himself [that he is; of his fullness] to live in ·Christ [or the Son; him].


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And through ·Christ [him], God has ·brought all things back to himself again [reconciled all things to himself]—things on earth and things in heaven. ·God made […by making] peace through the blood of ·Christ’s death on the cross [his cross].


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At one time you were ·separated [alienated; estranged] from God. You were his enemies in your minds, ·and the evil things you did were against God [or because of your evil deeds].


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But now God has ·made you his friends again [reconciled you] through Christ’s death in ·the body [his physical body; the body of his flesh], so that he might bring you into God’s presence as people who are holy, ·with no wrong [without blemish; as were sacrificial animals], and ·with nothing of which God can judge you guilty [blameless; innocent; free of accusation].


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This will happen if you continue ·strong [grounded; established] and ·sure [firm; steadfast] in your faith. You must not ·be moved [shift; drift] away from the hope ·brought to you by [or found in; of] the ·Good News [the Gospel] that you heard. That same ·Good News [Gospel] has been ·told [preached; proclaimed] to ·everyone [every creature; or in all creation] ·in the world [under heaven], and I, Paul, ·help in preaching [am a servant/minister of] it.


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Paul’s Work for the Church [Now] I ·am happy [rejoice] in my sufferings for you. And I ·accept [fill up; complete] in my ·body [flesh] what ·Christ must still suffer [or is lacking in the suffering of Christ] ·through [or on behalf of] his body, the church. [By suffering while spreading the Gospel, Paul both participates in Christ’s death and helps complete God’s plan.]


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I became a ·servant [minister] of the church because God gave me a ·special work to do [stewardship; commission] ·that helps you [for you], and that work is to ·tell fully [or complete; or preach everywhere; fulfill] the ·message [word] of God.


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This message is the ·secret [mystery; something God had not previously disclosed; ] that was hidden from ·everyone since the beginning of time [ages and generations], but now it is made known to ·God’s holy people [the saints].


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God ·decided [chose; willed] to let his people know this rich and glorious ·secret [mystery; ] which he has for ·all people [the nations/Gentiles]. This ·secret [mystery] is ·that Christ lives in you. He is our only hope for glory [Christ in you, the hope of glory].


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So we continue to ·preach [proclaim; announce] Christ to each person, using all wisdom to ·warn [instruct; admonish] and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God’s presence as a mature person in Christ.


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To do this, I ·work [toil; labor] and struggle, using ·Christ’s [his] great strength that works so powerfully in me.


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[For] I want you to know how hard I ·work [contend; struggle] for you, those in Laodicea [a city northwest of Colossae; ; ], and others who have never ·seen me [met me personally; seen my face in the flesh].


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I want ·them [their hearts] to be ·strengthened [encouraged; comforted] and joined together with love so that they may be rich in their ·understanding [assurance of understanding]. This leads to their knowing fully God’s ·secret [mystery; ], that is, Christ himself.


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I say this so that no one can ·fool [deceive] you by ·arguments that seem good, but are false [persuasive/enticing/specious arguments].


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[For] Though I am absent from you in my body, ·my heart is [in spirit I am] with you, and I ·am happy [rejoice] to see your ·good lives [discipline; orderly lives; or unbroken ranks] and your ·strong [firm; steadfast] faith in Christ.


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Continue to Live in Christ [Therefore] As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to ·live [walk] in him.


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Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be ·strong [established] in the faith, just as you were taught, ·and always be thankful [abounding/overflowing with gratitude].


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·Be sure [Be careful; Watch; See] that no one ·leads you away [takes you captive; captivates you] with ·false [deceptive] and ·empty [worthless] teaching that is ·only human [according to human traditions], which comes from the ·ruling spirits [elemental spiritual forces (demons); or elementary teachings] of this world, and not from Christ.


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·All of God lives fully in Christ [For in him all the fullness of deity dwells] ·in a human body [bodily; embodied],


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and you have ·a full and true life in Christ [been filled in him], who is ·ruler [head] over every ruler and ·power [authority].


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In Christ you were also circumcised, but not with a circumcision done by hands [; ]. It was ·a circumcision done by Christ [the circumcision of Christ], which ·freed you from [put off; cut away] ·the power of your sinful self [your sinful nature; the body of flesh; just as OT circumcision cut off the physical flesh, so Christ’s circumcision “cuts off” the “flesh”—the power of our sinful self].


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When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him through your faith in the ·power [working; active agency] of God, who raised Christ from the dead.


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When you were ·spiritually dead [dead] ·because of [or in] your sins and ·because you were not free from the power [in the uncircumcision] of your ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh], God made you alive with Christ, and he forgave all our ·sins [transgressions].


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He ·canceled [wiped out; erased] the ·record [certificate] of debt, ·which listed all the rules we failed to follow [with its decrees that were against us; the record of sins revealed through the OT law; ]. He ·took it away [set it aside; destroyed it] and nailed it to the cross.


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·God [or Christ; He] ·stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority [disarmed/despoiled the rulers and authorities]. With the cross, he won the victory and ·showed the world that they were powerless [publicly shamed them; made a public spectacle of them; like a triumphant general displaying his captives in a victory parade].


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Don’t Follow People’s Rules So do not let anyone ·make rules for [or criticize; judge; or condemn] you about eating and drinking or about a religious ·feast [festival], a New Moon Festival [; ], or a Sabbath day [religious observances that false teachers pressured the Colossians to keep].


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These things ·were like [are] a shadow of what was to come. But ·what is true and real has come and is found in Christ [or the reality/substance belongs to Christ; the body (is) of Christ].


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Do not let anyone disqualify you by ·insisting on [or delighting in] self-denial [asceticism; or false humility] and worship of angels. Such people ·enter into [or talk endlessly about; or pin their hopes on] visions, which ·fill them [puff them up] with ·foolish pride [or empty notions] because of their ·human way of thinking [unspiritual/worldly/carnal minds; mind of the flesh].


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They ·do not hold tightly [or have no connection] to the head [Christ]. It is from him that all the parts of the body are ·cared for [supported] and held together through its joints and ligaments. So it grows in the way God ·wants [or causes] it to grow.


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Since you died with Christ and were made free from the ·ruling spirits [elemental spiritual forces (demons); or elementary teachings; ] of the world, why do you act as if you still ·belong to [are living in] this world by following rules like these:


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These rules refer to ·earthly things that are gone as soon as they are used [things that all perish with use]. They are only human commands and teachings.


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They ·seem to be wise [have an appearance of wisdom], with their ·religious devotion [or forced piety; or asceticism], false humility, and ·harsh treatment [severe discipline] of their bodies. But they ·do not really control [have no value against] the ·evil desires [indulgence] of the ·sinful self [sinful nature; flesh].


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Your New Life in Christ [Therefore] Since you were ·raised from the dead [raised] with Christ, ·aim at [aspire to; seek after; focus on] ·what is in heaven [the things above], where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.


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·Think only about [Set your minds on; Fix your thoughts on] the things ·in heaven [above], not the things on earth.


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When Christ, who is your life, ·comes again [appears; is revealed], you will ·share in his [be revealed with him in] glory.


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So put all ·evil [earthly; worldly] things ·out of your life [to death]: sexual sinning, ·doing evil [impurity; defilement], ·letting evil thoughts control you [lust; passion], ·wanting things that are evil [selfish desires], and greed, which is ·serving a false god [idolatry].


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You also used to ·do these things [live/walk this way] when you were ·part of the world [living among/in them].


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But now also put these things out of your life: anger, ·bad temper [rage], ·hatred [malice; evil], ·saying things to hurt others [slander; blasphemy], and ·using evil words [abusive/filthy/obscene language] ·when you talk [from your mouth].


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Do not lie to each other. You have ·left [taken/stripped off; or disarmed; ] your old ·sinful life [self; person; man] and ·the things you did before [its deeds/practices].


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You have ·begun to live the new life [put on the new person/man], in which you are being ·made new [renewed] in ·the true knowledge of God [knowledge] ·and are becoming like [according to the image of] the One who created you [].


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In the new life there is no difference between Greeks and Jews, those who are circumcised and those who are not circumcised, or ·people who are foreigners [barbarians], or Scythians [from the northern coast of the Black Sea, considered uncivilized and violent]. There is no difference between slaves and free people. But Christ is ·all that is important and is in all believers [all and in all].


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·God loves you and has chosen you and made you his holy people. So [As God’s chosen, holy and beloved ones; ; ] you should always clothe yourselves with ·mercy [a heart of compassion], kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.


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·Bear with [Make allowances for; Be patient with] each other, and forgive each other. If someone ·does wrong to you [has a grievance/complaint against someone], forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.


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·Even more than all this [Above all], clothe yourself in love, which ·holds you all together in perfect unity [or binds everything together; is the bond of perfection/completeness].


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Let the peace ·that Christ gives [of Christ] ·control [rule; arbitrate] your ·thinking [hearts], because you were all called together in one body [the church as the body of Christ] to have peace. Always be thankful.


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Let the ·teaching [message; word] of Christ ·live in [or dwell among] you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and ·instruct [warn; admonish] each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with ·thankfulness [gratitude; grace] in your hearts to God.


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Everything you do or say should be done ·to obey [or as a representative of; in the name of] the Lord Jesus. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.


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Your New Life with Other People Wives, ·yield to the authority of [submit to] your husbands, because this is ·the right thing to do [appropriate; fitting] in the Lord [; ].


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Fathers [or Parents; ], do not ·nag [aggravate; exasperate; provoke] your children []. If you are too hard to please, they may ·want to stop trying [become discouraged; lose heart].


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·Slaves [Bondservants], obey your ·human [earthly] masters in all things [; ]. Do not obey just ·when they are watching you [with eye-service], ·to gain their favor [as people-pleasers], but serve them ·honestly [with a sincere heart], because you ·respect [reverence; fear] the Lord [].


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In all the work you are doing, ·work the best you can [do it heart and soul; from the soul]. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.


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·Remember […knowing] that you will receive from the Lord the reward ·which he promised to his people [of an inheritance]. You are serving the Lord Christ.


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But remember that anyone who does wrong will be ·punished [repaid] for that wrong, and ·the Lord treats everyone the same [there is no favoritism/partiality].


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What the Christians Are to Do ·Continue praying [Be devoted to prayer], keeping alert, and always thanking God.


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Also pray for us that God will ·give us an opportunity [open a door for us] to tell people his ·message [word]. Pray that we can preach the ·secret that God has made known about Christ [mystery of Christ; ]. This is why I am in ·prison [chains; Paul is probably writing from house arrest in Rome, about ad 60; see ].


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Be wise in the way you ·act with [behave towards] people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity.


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When you talk, you should always be ·kind [gracious] and ·pleasant [winsome; engaging; or wholesome; seasoned with salt] so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.


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News About the People with Paul Tychicus [; ; ; ] is my ·dear [beloved] brother in Christ and a faithful ·minister [servant] and ·servant with me [fellow slave/bondservant] in the Lord. He will tell you all the things that are happening to me.


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I send him with Onesimus [], a faithful and ·dear [beloved] ·brother in Christ [brother], and one of your ·group [or own people; or fellow-citizens]. They will tell you all that has happened here.


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Aristarchus [; ; ], a prisoner with me, and Mark [; ; ], the cousin of Barnabas [; ; , , ; ; ], greet you. (·I have already told you what to do [You have received instructions] about Mark. If he comes, welcome him.)


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Jesus, who is called Justus, also greets you. These are the only ·Jewish believers [ones of the circumcision] who work with me for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.


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Epaphras [], a ·servant [slave; bondservant] of Jesus Christ, from your ·group [or people; or city], also greets you. He always ·prays [prays earnestly; wrestles/struggles in prayer] for you that you will ·grow to be spiritually mature [or stand complete/perfect] and ·confident that you are in God’s will [fully assured in all the will of God].


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I ·know [can testify/bear witness that] he has worked hard for you and ·the people [or the churches; those] in Laodicea [] and in Hierapolis [a city north of Colossae, in present-day southwest Turkey].


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Greet the brothers and sisters in Laodicea []. And greet Nympha and the church that meets in her house.


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After this letter is read to you, be sure it is also read to the church in Laodicea. And you read the letter ·that I wrote to [from] Laodicea.


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Tell Archippus [], “Be sure to ·finish [fulfill] the ·work [ministry; service] ·the Lord gave you [you received in the Lord].”


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I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember ·me in prison [my chains]. Grace be with you.


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From Paul, Silas [, ], and Timothy [; ; ; 1 and 2 Timothy]. To the church in Thessalonica [of the Thessalonians; a city in Macedonia, present-day northern Greece], the church in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.


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We continually recall before God our Father ·the things you have done because of your faith [your work of/from faith], ·the work you have done because of your love [your labor of/from love] and your ·continuing strength because of your hope [endurance of/from hope] in our Lord Jesus Christ.


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because the ·Good News [Gospel] we brought to you came not only with words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with ·sure knowledge that it is true [great conviction]. You know how we lived when we were with you ·in order to help you [for your sake].


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And you became ·like us and like [imitators of us and of] the Lord. You ·suffered much [experienced many trials/much persecution], but still you accepted the teaching with the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit.


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So you became an ·example to [model for] all the believers in Macedonia [the Roman province in which Thessalonica was located, present-day northern Greece] and Achaia [present-day southern Greece].


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And the Lord’s ·teaching [message; word] ·spread [rang out; sounded forth] from you not only into Macedonia and Achaia, but now your faith in God has ·become known [gone forth] everywhere. So we do not need to say anything about it.


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·People everywhere [For they themselves] are ·telling [reporting; announcing] about the way you ·accepted [welcomed] us when we were there with you. They tell how you ·stopped worshiping idols [turned to God from idols] to serve the living and true God,


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and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom God raised from the dead. He is Jesus, who ·saves [rescues; delivers] us from ·God’s angry judgment that is sure to come [the coming wrath].


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Paul’s Work in Thessalonica Brothers and sisters, you ·know [yourselves know; are well aware that] our ·visit [coming] to you was not ·a failure [without results; in vain; ].


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Before we came to you, we suffered and were ·insulted [mistreated] in Philippi [a city in Macedonia (); ], as you know. But ·our God helped us to be brave and [we were emboldened in our God] to tell you ·his Good News [the Gospel of God] in spite of great opposition.


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[For] Our ·appeal [encouragement; exhortation] does not come from ·lies [error] or ·wrong reasons [false motives; impurity], nor ·were we trying to trick you [with guile/deceit].


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But we speak the ·Good News [Gospel] because God ·tested [approved] us and ·trusted us to do [or entrusted us with] it. When we speak, we are not trying to please people, but God, who ·tests [examines; approves] our hearts.


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You know that we never ·tried to influence you by saying nice things about you [came with words of flattery]. ·We were not trying to get your money; we had no selfishness to hide from you […nor with hidden motives of greed]. God ·knows that this is true [is (our) witness].


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even though as apostles of Christ we could have ·used our authority over you [thrown our weight around; exercised our prerogatives]. But we were very gentle with you, like a ·mother [nurse; nursing mother] caring for her [own] little children.


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Because we ·loved [had such affection for/devotion to] you, we were ·happy [pleased; delighted] to share not only God’s ·Good News [Gospel] with you, but ·even [also] our own lives. You had become so ·dear [beloved] to us!


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Brothers and sisters, ·I know [surely] you remember our hard work and ·difficulties [hardship; labor]. We worked night and day so we would not burden any of you while we preached God’s ·Good News [Gospel] to you.


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When we were with you, we lived in a holy and ·honest [righteous; just] way, ·without fault [blameless; innocent]. You ·know this is true, and so does [are witnesses, and so is] God.


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We ·encouraged [exhorted; urged] you, we ·urged [encouraged; comforted] you, and we ·insisted [appealed/bore witness to you] that you ·live good lives for [walk worthy of] God, who calls you to his ·glorious kingdom [kingdom and glory].


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·Also [For this reason], we always thank God because when you ·heard his message [received the message you heard] from us, you accepted it not as ·merely human words [a human message], but for what it truly is—·the word of [a message from] God, which ·works in [transforms] you who believe.


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[For] Brothers and sisters, ·your experiences have been like those [or you became imitators] of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea [the original church in Jerusalem and others nearby]. You suffered the same things from the people of your own country, as they suffered from the Jews


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who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and ·forced us to leave that country [drove us out; or persecuted us]. They do not please God and are ·against [hostile/opposed to] all people.


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·They try [or …because they try; or …by trying] to stop us from ·teaching [speaking/preaching to] the Gentiles so they may be saved. By doing this, they are ·increasing [filling/heaping up] their sins to the limit. The ·anger [wrath] of God ·has come to [or has drawn near to; or will overtake] them ·at last [or completely; or until the end (of the age)].


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Paul Wants to Visit Them Again Brothers and sisters, though we were ·separated [torn away; orphaned] from you for a short time, ·our thoughts were still with you [physically, not spiritually…; in face, not in heart…]. We wanted very much to see you and tried hard to do so.


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We wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried to come ·more than once [again and again; both once and twice], but Satan ·stopped [hindered; prevented] us.


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·You are [For who is…?] our hope, our joy, and the crown we will ·take pride in [boast about] when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.


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and send Timothy to you. Timothy, our brother, ·works with us [is our coworker] for God ·and helps us tell people the Good News about [in the Gospel of] Christ. We sent him to strengthen and ·encourage [comfort; or exhort] you in your faith


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so none of you would be ·upset [disturbed; shaken] by these ·troubles [trials]. [For] You yourselves know that we ·must face these troubles [are destined/appointed for this].


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[For] Even when we were with you, we told you [in advance] we all would have to ·suffer [be persecuted; suffer hardship/affliction], and you know it has happened.


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Because of this, when I could ·wait [endure it] no longer, I sent Timothy to you so I could learn about your faith. I was afraid ·the devil [the tempter] had tempted you, and perhaps our hard work would have been ·wasted [in vain; for nothing].


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But Timothy now has come back to us from you and has brought us good news about your faith and love. He told us that you always remember us in a good way and that you ·want [long] to see us just as much as we ·want [long] to see you.


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So, brothers and sisters, ·while we have much [in all of our] ·trouble [distress] and ·suffering [trials; persecution], we are ·encouraged [comforted; reassured] about you because of your faith.


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·Our life is really full [For now we live/are alive (again)] ·if you stand [since you are standing] ·strong [firm; fast] in the Lord.


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·We cannot thank God enough [For what thanks can we give to God…?] for all the joy we feel ·in God’s presence [before our God] because of you.


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Night and day we continue praying ·with all our heart [most earnestly] that we can see you again and ·give you all the things you need [strengthen/supply what is lacking] to make your faith strong.


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Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus ·prepare [clear; direct] the way for us to come to you.


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May the Lord make your love grow more and ·multiply [abound; overflow] for each other and for all people ·so that you will love others as we love you [or just as our love abounds for you].


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·May your hearts […so that your hearts may] be made strong so that you will be holy and ·without fault [blameless] before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his ·holy ones [saints; or holy angels].


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A Life that Pleases God [Finally; or Now then; Furthermore] Brothers and sisters, we taught you how to ·live [walk] in a way that will please God, and you are living that way. Now we ask and ·encourage [urge; appeal to] you in the Lord Jesus to ·live that way [excel; abound] even more.


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[For] You know what ·we told [instructions/commands we gave] you to do ·by the authority of [through] the Lord Jesus.


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·God wants you to be holy and [or For this is God’s will, your sanctification:] to stay away from sexual sins.


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He wants each of you to ·learn to control your own body [or take a wife for yourself; or live with your own wife; gain/possess his own vessel] in a way that is holy and honorable.


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·Don’t use your body for sexual sin […not in lustful passion] like the ·people [Gentiles] who do not know God.


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Also, do not ·wrong [exploit; transgress] or ·cheat [take advantage of] another ·Christian [brother (or sister)] in this way. The Lord ·will punish people who do those [is the avenger concerning these] things as we have already told you and ·warned [solemnly testified to] you.


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·So [Therefore] the person who ·refuses to obey [disregards; rejects; despises] this teaching is not simply ·disobeying [disregarding; rejecting; despising] ·a human being [human authority], but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.


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We do not need to write you about ·having love for your Christian family [brotherly love], because God has already taught you to love each other.


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And truly you do love the ·Christians [brothers (and sisters)] in all of Macedonia []. Now we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to ·love them [excel; abound; ] even more.


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·Do all you can […and to aspire] to live a peaceful life. ·Take care of [Attend to; Mind] your own business, and ·do your own work [work with your hands] as we have already ·told [instructed; commanded] you.


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If you do, then you will ·win the respect of [or live a respectable/proper life before] ·unbelievers [outsiders], and you will not have to depend on others for what you need.


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The Lord’s Coming Brothers and sisters, we ·want you to know [do not want you to be uninformed] about those ·Christians who have died [who sleep; a euphemism for death] so you will not ·be sad [grieve], as ·others [the rest] who have no hope.


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[For] We believe that Jesus died and that he rose again. ·So, through him, God will raise with Jesus those who have died [or So God will bring with Jesus those who have died/fallen asleep in him].


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What we tell you now is ·the Lord’s own message [by the word of the Lord]. We who are ·living [still alive] when the Lord comes again will [certainly; surely] not go before those who have ·already died [fallen asleep].


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The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud ·command [or shout], ·with [or accompanied by; or preceded by] the voice of the archangel [a leading or ruling angel; ; ], and with the trumpet call of God. And ·those who have died believing [the dead] in Christ will rise first [].


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After that, we who are ·still alive [or alive and are left] will be ·gathered [caught; taken] up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And [so; in this way] we will be with the Lord forever.


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Be Ready for the Lord’s Coming Now, brothers and sisters, we do not need to write you about times and ·dates [seasons; related to end-time events].


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You know ·very well [accurately] that the ·day the Lord comes again [day of the Lord; the time of Christ’s return and the judgments associated with it] will ·be a surprise, like a thief that comes in the night [come like a thief in the night].


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While people are saying, “·We have peace and we are safe [Peace and safety/security],” they will be destroyed ·quickly [suddenly]. It is like pains that come quickly to a woman having a baby. Those people will not escape.


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But you, brothers and sisters, are not ·living in darkness [in darkness], and so that day will not ·surprise you [or overtake you] like a thief.


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[For] You are all ·people who belong to the light [children/sons of the light] and ·who belong to [children/sons of] the day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness.


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So we should not be like other people who are sleeping [spiritually], but we should be ·alert [awake] and ·have self-control [sober].


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But we belong to the day, so we should ·control ourselves [be sober]. We should ·wear faith and love to protect us [put on the breastplate/body armor of faith and love], and the hope of salvation should be our helmet [].


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God did not ·choose [appoint; destine] us ·to suffer his anger [for wrath] but to ·have [receive; gain; possess] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.


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·Jesus […who] died for us so that we can live together with him, whether we are ·alive [awake] or ·dead [asleep] when he comes.


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So encourage each other and ·give each other strength [build each other up], just as you are doing now.


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Final Instructions and Greetings Now, brothers and sisters, we ask you to ·appreciate [acknowledge; respect] those who work hard among you, who ·lead [or care for] you in the Lord and ·teach [instruct; admonish] you.


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·Respect [Regard; Esteem] them ·with a very special [or very highly with your] love because of the work they do. Live in peace with each other.


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We ·ask [urge; exhort; encourage] you, brothers and sisters, to ·warn [admonish; rebuke] those who ·do not work [are idle; or are undisciplined]. ·Encourage [Comfort] the people who are ·afraid [apprehensive; fainthearted; discouraged]. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.


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·Be sure [See to it] that no one pays back ·wrong [evil] for ·wrong [evil], but always ·try to do [strive for; pursue] what is good for each other and for all people.


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and give thanks ·whatever happens [in all circumstances; in everything]. That is ·what God wants [God’s will] for you in Christ Jesus.


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Do not treat ·prophecy [prophecies; occurring in the church] ·as if it were unimportant [with contempt].


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Now may God himself, the God of peace, ·make you holy in every way [sanctify you completely/through and through]. May your whole self—spirit, soul, and body—be kept ·faultless [blameless] when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.


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I ·tell [solemnly charge; adjure] you ·by the authority of [or before; or in] the Lord to read this letter to all the believers.


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From Paul [, ], Silas, and Timothy [; ; ; 1 and 2 Timothy]. To the church ·in Thessalonica [of the Thessalonians; a city in Macedonia, present-day northern Greece] in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:


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Paul Talks About God’s Judgment We ·must [ought to] always thank God for you, brothers and sisters. This is only right, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love that every one of you has for each other is increasing.


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So we ·brag [boast] about you to the other churches of God. We tell them about the way you ·continue to be strong [persevere; endure] and have faith even though you are being ·treated badly [persecuted] and are suffering many ·troubles [trials; hardships].


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This is ·proof [evidence] that God is ·right [just; righteous] in his judgment. ·He wants you to be counted […so that you will be considered; or …to make you] worthy of his kingdom for which you are suffering.


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[For] God ·will do what is right [is just/righteous]. He will ·give trouble to [pay back with trials/hardship] those who ·trouble [inflict trials/hardships on] you.


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And he will give rest to you who are ·troubled [suffering trials/hardships] and to us also when the Lord Jesus ·appears [is revealed] ·with blazing fire from heaven [or from heaven; “with blazing fire” may go with the next sentence] with his powerful angels.


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Then he will ·punish [or punish with blazing fire] those who do not know God [] and who do not obey the ·Good News about [Gospel of] our Lord Jesus.


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Those people will be punished with a ·destruction that continues forever [eternal destruction], ·separated from […from] the presence of the Lord and from ·his great power [or the glory of his strength; or his glorious strength].


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This will happen on the day when ·the Lord Jesus [he] comes to ·receive glory [be glorified] ·because of [or among; or in; or from] his holy people. And all the people who have believed will ·be amazed at [marvel at] Jesus. You will be in that group, because you believed ·what we told [our testimony to] you.


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·That is why [To that end; In this regard] we always pray for you, asking our God to ·help you live the kind of life he called you to live [make/consider you worthy of his calling]. We pray that with his power God will ·help you do the good things you want [fulfill every desire for goodness] and ·perform the works that come from your [every work of] faith.


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We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will ·have glory [be glorified] in you, and you ·will have glory in him [in him]. That glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.


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Evil Things Will Happen Brothers and sisters, ·we have something to say about [concerning] the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and ·the time when we will meet [our assembly/being gathered] together with him.


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·Do not [We ask/request that you don’t] become ·easily [quickly] ·upset [unsettled; shaken] in your thinking or ·afraid [disturbed; alarmed] if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come [the time of Christ’s return and the judgments associated with it]. Someone may have said this ·in a prophecy [by a spirit; or by the Spirit] or ·in a message [or by word of mouth] or in a letter as if it came from us [a forged letter].


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Do not let anyone ·fool [deceive] you in any way. That day of the Lord [] will not come until the ·turning away from God [great rebellion; apostasy; ; ; ; ; ] happens and the Man of ·Evil [Wickedness; Lawlessness; probably the Antichrist; ; ], ·who is on his way to hell [the son of destruction; ], appears.


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He will ·be against [defy; oppose] and ·put himself above [exalt himself against] any so-called god or ·anything that [any object that; or any place where] people worship [; ; ] ·and [or so that] he will even go into the Temple of God and sit there and ·say that he is [present himself as] God.


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And ·now [so] you know what is ·stopping that Man of Evil [restraining him; holding him back; ] so he will ·appear [be revealed] at ·the right [the proper; his own] time.


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The ·secret power [or mystery] of ·evil [lawlessness; wickedness] is already ·working in the world [or at work], but there is one who is ·stopping that power [restraining it]. And ·he [or it] will continue to ·stop [restrain] it until ·he [or it] is taken out of the way [this restrainer may be the Holy Spirit or human government, among other possibilities].


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Then that ·Man of Evil [evil/lawless one; ] will ·appear [be revealed], and the Lord Jesus will ·kill [destroy] him with the breath that comes from his mouth [] and will ·destroy [annihilate; put an end to] him with the ·glory [brightness; splendor; or appearance; manifestation] of his ·coming [arrival; presence].


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·The Man of Evil […who; ] will ·come [arrive] ·by the power [or at the instigation; in accordance with the work/activity] of Satan ·and will have [or with; accompanied by] ·all kinds [or every kind] of ·false [counterfeit] ·miracles [powers], signs, and wonders.


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He will use every ·kind of evil to trick [or wicked deception against/toward] those who are ·lost [perishing; heading toward destruction], because they refused to love the truth that would save them.


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For this reason God sends them ·something powerful that leads them away from the truth [a powerful/compelling/effective deception/error] so they will believe ·a lie [what is false].


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So all those will be ·judged guilty [condemned] who did not believe the truth, but ·enjoyed doing [delighted in; approved of] ·evil [wickedness; unrighteousness; injustice].


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You Are Chosen for Salvation Brothers and sisters, whom the Lord loves, God chose you from the beginning to be saved. So we ·must [ought to] always thank God for you. You are saved by the ·Spirit that makes you holy [sanctifying work of the Spirit] and by your faith in the truth.


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God used the ·Good News [Gospel] that we preached to call you to be saved so you can ·share in [obtain; possess] the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.


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So, brothers and sisters, stand ·strong [firm] and ·continue to believe [hold fast to; grasp firmly] the ·teachings we gave you [traditions you were taught] ·in our speaking and in our [whether through our word or our] letter.


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May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through his grace gave us eternal ·comfort [encouragement] and a good hope,


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Pray for Us ·And now [or Finally], brothers and sisters, pray for us that the Lord’s ·teaching [message; word] ·will continue to spread quickly [might run (forward)] and ·that people will give honor to that teaching [be honored/glorified], just as happened with you.


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And pray that we will be ·protected [or rescued; delivered] from ·stubborn [or perverse; worthless; wicked] and evil people, because not all people ·believe [have faith].


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·The Lord makes us feel sure [We have confidence about you in the Lord] that you are doing and will continue to do the things we ·told [instructed; commanded] you.


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May the Lord ·lead [guide; direct] your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s ·patience [endurance; perseverance].


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The Duty to Work Brothers and sisters, ·by the authority [in the name] of our Lord Jesus Christ we command you to stay away from any ·believer [brother (or sister)] who ·refuses to work [or behaves irresponsibly; lives/walks in idleness/disorder] and does not follow the ·teaching we gave you [tradition you received from us].


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[For] You yourselves know that you should ·live as we live [follow our example; imitate us]. [Because] We were not ·lazy [idle; undisciplined] when we were with you.


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And when we ate another person’s ·food [bread], we always paid for it. We worked ·very hard [with labor and toil] night and day so we would not be an ·expense [financial burden] to any of you.


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·We had [It was not because we do not have] the right to ask you to help us, but we worked ·to take care of ourselves so we would [in order to] be an example for you to ·follow [imitate].


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[For even] When we were with you, we gave you this ·rule [instruction; command]: “Anyone who ·refuses [is not willing] to work should not eat.”


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[For; or Yet] We hear that some people in your group ·refuse to work [or are behaving irresponsibly; are living/walking in idleness/disorder]. They do nothing but ·busy themselves [meddle; interfere] in other people’s lives.


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We command ·those [such] people and ·beg [urge; encourage; exhort] them in the Lord Jesus Christ to ·work quietly [or settle down] and ·earn [eat] their own ·food [bread].


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If some people do not obey what we tell you in this letter, then take note of them. ·Have nothing to do [Do not associate] with them so they will ·feel ashamed [or be shamed].


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But do not ·treat [regard] them as enemies. ·Warn [Admonish] them as ·fellow believers [a brother (or sister)].


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Final Words Now may the Lord of peace [himself] give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.


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I, Paul, ·end this letter now [write this greeting] in my own ·handwriting [hand]. All my letters have this ·to show they are from me [sign]. This is the way I write.


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From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus, by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope.


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To Timothy [; ; ], a ·true [genuine] child to me ·because you believe [or in the faith]: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.


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Warning Against False Teaching I ·asked [urged; encouraged] you to stay longer in Ephesus [a major port city in the Roman province of Asia, present-day western Turkey; ] when I went into Macedonia [a Roman province in present-day northern Greece] so you could ·command [charge; instruct] some people there ·to stop teaching [or not to teach] ·false things [different doctrine/teachings; different from Paul’s Gospel, and so false].


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Tell them not to ·spend their time on [occupy themselves with; devote themselves to] ·stories that are not true [myths] and ·on long lists of names in family histories [endless/useless genealogies; ]. These things only bring ·arguments [controversy; or useless speculation]; they do not help God’s ·work [plan; redemptive purpose], which ·is done in [or operates by; or is received by; or is known by] faith.


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The ·purpose [goal; aim] of this ·command [charge; instruction] is for people to have love, a love that comes from a pure heart and a ·good [clear] conscience and a ·true [genuine; sincere] faith.


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Some people have ·missed [departed/deviated from] these things and turned to ·useless talk [empty/meaningless/foolish discussion].


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They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand either what they are talking about or what they ·are sure about [so confidently assert].


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But we know that the law [the OT law of Moses] is good if someone uses it ·lawfully [legitimately; as God intended].


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·We also know [or …recognizing this:] that the law is not ·made [intended; laid down] for ·good people [the just/righteous person] but for those who are ·against the law [lawbreakers; lawless] and for ·those who refuse to follow it [rebels; criminals]. It is for people who are ·against God [godless; ungodly] and are sinful, who are unholy and ·ungodly [irreverent; profane], who ·kill [or strike] their fathers and mothers, who murder,


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who take part in sexual sins, who ·have sexual relations with people of the same sex [are practicing homosexuals], who ·sell slaves [are kidnappers/slave traders], who tell lies, who speak falsely, and ·who do anything against [or all who live contrary to] the true teaching of God.


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That teaching ·is part of [accords with; conforms to] the ·Good News [Gospel] of the blessed God that he ·gave me to tell [entrusted to me].


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Thanks for God’s Mercy I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who gave me strength, because he ·trusted me [considered me trustworthy/faithful] and ·gave me this work of serving him [placed me in his service; appointed me to ministry].


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[Even though] In the past I ·spoke against Christ [was a blasphemer] and persecuted him and ·did all kinds of things to hurt him [was an arrogant/insolent/violent man; ]. But God showed me mercy, because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.


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But the grace of our Lord ·was fully given [overflowed; abounded] to me, and with that grace came the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.


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·What I say is true [or This saying/word is trustworthy; ; ; ; ], and ·you should fully accept it [worthy of full acceptance; what follows may be an early Christian hymn]: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the ·worst [first; foremost].


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But [for that reason] I was given mercy so that in me, the worst of all sinners, Christ Jesus could show that he has ·unlimited [immense; perfect; all] patience. His patience with me made me an example for those who would believe in him and have ·life forever [eternal life].


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To the ·King who rules forever [eternal King; King of the ages], ·who will never die [immortal; incorruptible], ·who cannot be seen [invisible], the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.


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Timothy, my child, I am giving you ·a command [this charge/instruction] that agrees with the prophecies that were given about you in the past [; ]. I tell you this so that ·by following [or by recalling; by] them you can fight the good fight.


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Continue to have faith and ·do what you know is right [a good conscience]. Some people have rejected this, and their faith has been shipwrecked.


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Hymenaeus [] and Alexander [] have done that, and I have ·given them [handed them over] to Satan so they will learn not to ·speak against God [blaspheme].


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Some Rules for Men and Women First of all, then, I ·tell [urge; exhort] you to ·pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to him [make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all people].


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Pray for ·rulers [kings] and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives ·full of worship and respect for God [in all godliness and dignity/reverence].


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[For] There is one God and one ·mediator [intermediary] ·so that human beings can reach God [between God and human beings], Christ Jesus, who is himself human.


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He gave himself as a ·payment to free [ransom for] all people, ·proof that came [or revealing God’s purpose; the testimony/witness] at ·the right [the appointed; God’s own] time.


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That is why I was ·chosen [appointed] to ·tell the Good News [be a herald/preacher] and to be an apostle. (I am telling the truth; I am not lying.) I was ·chosen [appointed] ·to teach the Gentiles to believe and to know the truth [or as a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles].


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So, I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up ·their hands in a holy manner [their hands in reverence; holy hands], without anger and ·arguments [quarreling; disputing].


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·Also [Similarly; Likewise], women should wear ·proper [modest; respectable] clothes that show ·respect [modesty] and ·self-control [good sense], not using ·braided hair [elaborate hairstyles] or gold or pearls or expensive clothes.


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Instead, they should do good deeds, which is ·right [proper] for women who ·say they worship God [profess reverence for God].


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Let a woman learn ·by listening quietly [in silence] and ·being ready to cooperate in everything [in full/all submission].


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But I do not allow a woman to teach or to ·have [assume; exercise] authority over ·a man [or her husband], but to ·listen quietly [be quiet],


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And Adam was not ·tricked [deceived; led astray], but the woman was ·tricked [deceived; led astray] and became a ·sinner [transgressor; ].


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But she will be saved through ·having children [or motherhood; less likely, a reference to the birth of Christ] if she continues in faith, love, and holiness, with ·self-control [propriety; good sense].


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Elders in the Church ·What I say is true [or This saying/word is trustworthy; ; ; ; ]: Anyone ·wanting [aspiring] to become an ·overseer [bishop; perhaps the same as elder; , ; ; ] desires a ·good [honorable; noble] ·work [role; position].


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An overseer must ·not give people a reason to criticize him [have a good reputation; be above reproach], and he must ·have only one wife [or be faithful to his wife]. He must be ·self-controlled [sober], ·wise [have good judgment], respected by others, ·ready to welcome guests [hospitable], and able to teach.


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He must not drink too much wine or ·like to fight [be violent/a troublemaker], but rather be gentle and ·peaceable [not quarrelsome/contentious], not ·loving money [avaricious; greedy].


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He must ·be a good family leader [manage/lead his own household well], having children ·who cooperate with full respect [who obey and respect him; or whom he controls with dignity].


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(If someone does not know how to ·lead [manage] his own ·family [household], how can that person take care of God’s church?)


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But an elder must not be a ·new believer [recent convert], or he might ·be too proud of himself [become arrogant] and ·be judged guilty just as the devil was [or incur the same punishment as the devil; ].


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An elder must also have ·the respect of [a good reputation among] ·people who are not in the church [outsiders] so he will not ·be criticized by others [fall into disgrace; be caught in a scandal] ·and [or and in this way] ·caught [ensnared] in the devil’s trap.


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Deacons in the Church In the same way, deacons must be ·respected by others [dignified], not ·saying things they do not mean [insincere; two-faced; deceitful]. They must not drink too much wine or ·try to get rich by cheating others [be greedy for money/profit].


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With a clear conscience they must ·follow [hold on to] ·the secret of the faith that God made known to us [or God’s revealed truths; the mystery of the faith; a mystery being something previously unknown but now revealed by God; ].


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Test them first. Then let them serve as deacons if you find ·nothing wrong in them [them blameless].


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In the same way, ·women [or women who are deacons; or deacon’s wives] must be ·respected by others [dignified]. They must not ·speak evil of others [be slanderers/gossips]. They must be ·self-controlled [sober] and ·trustworthy [honest; faithful] in everything.


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Deacons must ·have only one wife [or be faithful to their wife] and be good ·leaders [managers] of their children and their own ·families [households].


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Those who serve well as deacons ·are making an honorable place [gain good standing] for themselves, and they will ·be very bold [or have greater confidence/assurance] in their faith in Christ Jesus.


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The Secret of Our Life Although I hope I can come to you ·soon [quickly], I am writing these things to you now.


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Then, even if I am delayed, you will know ·how [how it is necessary] to live in the ·family [household] of God, which is the ·church [assembly] of the living God, the ·support [pillar] and foundation of the truth.


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·Without doubt [or And we all agree], ·the secret of our life of worship [or the truth revealed in our faith/worship; the mystery of godliness; ] is great [what follows may be from an early Christian hymn]: He ·was shown to us [appeared; was revealed] in ·a human body [the flesh], ·proved right [vindicated] ·in spirit [or by the Spirit], and seen by angels. He was proclaimed ·to [among] the ·nations [Gentiles], believed in ·by [or in; throughout] the world, and taken up in glory.


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A Warning About False Teachers Now the ·Holy Spirit [Spirit] clearly says that in the later times some people will ·stop believing [abandon; desert] the faith [; ]. They will ·follow [occupy themselves with; devote themselves to] ·spirits that lie [deceiving spirits] and teachings of demons.


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Such teachings come ·from the false words [or through the hypocrisy] of liars whose consciences are ·destroyed [seared; or branded] as if by a hot iron.


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They forbid people to marry and tell them not to eat certain foods which God created to be ·eaten [received] with thanks by people who believe and know the truth.


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[For] Everything God created is good, and nothing should be ·refused [rejected] if it is accepted with thanks,


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because it is ·made holy [sanctified] by ·what God has said [the word/pronouncement of God] and by prayer.


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Be a Good Servant of Christ By ·telling [pointing out] these things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus. You will be ·made strong [nourished; nurtured] by the words of the faith and the good teaching which you have been following.


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But ·do not follow [reject] ·foolish stories that disagree with God’s truth [godless myths and old wives tales], but train yourself ·to serve God [for godliness/piety].


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[For] ·Training your body [Physical exercise] helps you in ·some [or small] ways, but ·serving God [godliness] helps you in every way ·by bringing you blessings [since it holds promise] in this life and in the future life, too.


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What I say is true [or This saying/word is trustworthy; ; ; ; ], and ·you should fully accept it [worthy of full acceptance].


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This is why we work and struggle, because we have put our hope in the living God who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.


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Do not let anyone ·treat you as if you are unimportant [despise/disregard/look down on you] because you are young. Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your ·actions [conduct; behavior], your love, your ·faith [faithfulness], and your ·pure life [purity].


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Until I come, ·continue to read the Scriptures to the people [attend/devote yourself to the public reading (of Scripture)], ·strengthen [encourage; exhort] them, and teach them.


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·Use [Do not neglect] the ·gift from the Spirit [spiritual gift; gift] ·you have [that is in you], which was given to you through prophecy when the group of elders laid their hands on you [a way of dedicating someone to Christian service; ; ].


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·Continue [Take care; Be diligent] to do those things; give your life to doing them so your progress may be seen by everyone.


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Be ·careful [conscientious] ·in your life [about yourself] and in your teaching. If you ·continue to live and teach rightly [persevere in these things], you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.


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Rules for Living with Others Do not ·speak angrily to [rebuke; speak harshly to] an older man, but ·plead with [exhort; encourage] him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers,


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older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters. ·Always treat them in a pure way […with complete purity].


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·Take care of [Provide support for; or Honor; Show respect to; both honor and financial help are likely in mind] widows who are truly widows.


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But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to ·do their duty to [or practice their piety/godliness toward] their own ·family [household] and to repay their parents or grandparents. [For] That pleases God.


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The true widow, who is all alone, puts her hope in God and continues ·to pray night and day for God’s help [in petitions and prayers night and day].


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But the widow who ·uses her life to please herself [lives in luxury; is self-indulgent] is really dead while she is alive.


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·Tell [Command; Instruct] the believers to do these things so that ·no one can criticize them [they may be blameless/above reproach].


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Whoever does not care for his ·own relatives [own], especially his own family members, has ·turned against [denied; rejected] the faith and is worse than ·someone who does not believe in God [an unbeliever].


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To be on the list of widows [probably a list of those widows who received regular support from the church], a woman must be at least sixty years old. She must have been ·faithful to her husband [or married only once; or the wife of one husband].


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She must be known for her good works—works such as raising her children, ·welcoming strangers [practicing hospitality], washing the feet of ·God’s people [the saints], helping those in ·trouble [distress; hardship], and ·giving [devoting] her life to do all kinds of good deeds.


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But do not put younger widows on that list. After they give themselves to Christ, they are pulled away from him by their physical desires, and then they want to marry again.


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They will be judged for ·not doing what they first promised to do [breaking/despising their first pledge].


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Besides that, they learn to ·waste their time [be idle], going from house to house. And they not only ·waste their time [are idlers] but also begin to gossip and ·busy themselves with other people’s lives [become busybodies/meddlers], saying things they should not say.


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So I want the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their homes. Then ·no enemy will [or the adversary will not; Satan] have any ·reason [or opportunity] ·to criticize them [or for maligning/slandering (us/them)].


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If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should ·care for [provide support for] them herself. The church should not ·have to care for them [carry this burden]. Then it will be able to ·take care of [support] those who are truly widows.


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The elders who lead the church well should receive ·double honor [or both honor and remuneration; probably includes both respect and financial support; see ], especially those who work hard by ·speaking [preaching] and teaching,


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because the Scripture says: “When an ox is ·working in the grain [threshing], do not ·cover its mouth to keep it from eating [muzzle it; ],” and “A worker ·should be given his pay [deserves his wages; is worthy of his hire; ].”


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·Reprimand [Rebuke] those who continue sinning. Do this in front of the whole church so that the others will ·have a warning [fear; or show reverence].


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Before God and Christ Jesus and the ·chosen [elect] angels, I ·command [solemnly charge] you to ·do [keep; guard] these things without ·taking sides [prejudice] or showing favoritism of any kind.


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·Think carefully before you [Do not quickly/hastily] ·appoint someone to leadership [lay your hands on anyone; ; a way of dedicating someone to Christian service], and don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.


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Stop drinking only water, but drink a little wine to help your stomach and your frequent sicknesses.


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The sins of some people are ·easy to see [obvious; evident] ·even before they are judged [or arriving at the judgment before they do; or preceding them into court; going before them to judgment], but the sins of others ·are seen only later [arrive later; follow after].


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So also good deeds are ·easy to see [obvious; evident], but even those that are not easily seen cannot stay hidden [since they will be revealed on judgment day].


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All who are ·slaves [slaves under a yoke] should show full ·respect [honor] to their masters so no one will ·speak against [revile; blaspheme] God’s name and ·our teaching [or Christian doctrine; the teaching].


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The slaves whose masters are believers should not ·show their masters any less respect [disrespect them; or take advantage of them] because they are believers. They should serve their masters even better, because they are helping believers ·they love [or loved by God; who are beloved]. You must teach and ·preach [encourage/exhort them about] these things.


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False Teaching and True Riches Anyone who has a different teaching and does not agree with the ·true teaching [sound/healthy words] of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that ·shows the true way to serve God [promotes piety/godliness]—


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that person is ·full of pride [arrogant; conceited] and understands nothing, but ·is sick with a love for [has an unhealthy interest in] ·arguing [controversies; debate] and ·fighting about [quarrels over] words. This brings ·jealousy [envy], ·fighting [strife; division], ·speaking against others [slander; blasphemy], evil ·mistrust [suspicions],


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and constant ·quarrels [bickering; disputes] from those who have ·evil [depraved; corrupted] minds and have ·lost [been deprived of] the truth. They think that ·serving God [godliness; piety] is a way to ·get rich [make a profit].


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[But] ·Serving God [Godliness; Piety] does ·make us very rich [bring great profit], ·if we are satisfied with what we have [when accompanied by contentment].


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Those who want to become rich ·bring temptation to themselves [fall into temptation] and are caught in a trap. They ·want [desire] many foolish and harmful things that ·ruin and destroy people [plunge people into ruin and destruction].


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[For] The love of money ·causes [is the root of] all kinds of evil. Some people have ·left [strayed/wandered from] the faith, because they wanted ·to get more money [it], ·but they have caused themselves much sorrow [and have pierced themselves with many pains].


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Some Things to Remember But you, man of God, ·run away from [flee] all those things. Instead, chase after [pursue] ·a right relationship with God [righteousness], a godly life [godliness; piety], faith, love, ·patience [perseverance; endurance], and gentleness.


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·Fight the good fight [or Run the good race] of faith, grabbing hold of ·the life that continues forever [eternal life]. You were called to have that life when you confessed the good confession before many witnesses [].


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·In the sight of [In the presence of; Before] God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, I ·give you a command [exhort/encourage/charge you]. Christ Jesus made the good confession when he stood before Pontius Pilate [; ; ; ].


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·Do what you were commanded to do [Keep/Obey the command] without ·wrong [spot; stain] or blame until our Lord Jesus Christ ·comes again [returns; appears].


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God will ·make that happen [reveal it] at ·the right [the appointed; his own] time. He is the blessed and only ·Ruler [Sovereign], the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords.


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He is the only One who ·never dies [has immortality]. He lives in light ·so bright no one can go near it [unapproachable]. No one has ever seen God, or can see him. May honor and power belong to God forever. Amen.


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Command those who are rich ·with things of this world [in the present age] not to be ·proud [arrogant; haughty]. Tell them to hope in God, not in their uncertain riches. God richly gives us everything to enjoy.


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Tell ·the rich people [them] to do good, to be rich in doing good deeds, to be generous and ready to share.


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By doing that, they will be ·saving [storing up] a treasure for themselves as a strong foundation for the future. Then they will be able to ·have [take hold of] the life that is true life.


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Timothy, guard what God has ·trusted to [entrusted/deposited with] you. Stay away from foolish, ·useless [irreverent; godless] talk and from the ·arguments [absurdities; contradictions] of what is falsely called “knowledge.”


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By ·saying they have that “knowledge” [claiming/professing it], some have ·missed [strayed/lost their way from] the true faith. Grace be with you.


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From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus by the will of God. ·God sent me to tell about […according to] the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.


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To Timothy [; ; ], a ·dear [beloved] child to me []: Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.


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Encouragement for Timothy I thank God as I always ·mention [remember] you in my prayers, day and night. I serve him, ·doing what I know is right [with a clear conscience] as my ancestors did.


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Remembering your tears [probably at Paul’s departure], I ·want very much [long] to see you so I can be filled with joy.


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I remember your ·true [sincere] faith. That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I ·know [am sure/persuaded] you now have that same faith.


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This is why I remind you to ·keep using [rekindle; fan into flames] the gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you [a way of dedicating someone to Christian service; ].


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[For] God did not give us ·a spirit [or the Spirit] that makes us ·afraid [timid] but ·a spirit [or the Spirit] of power and love and ·self-control [self-discipline; or good judgment].


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So do not be ashamed to ·tell people [testify; bear witness] about our Lord, and do not be ashamed of me, ·in prison for the Lord [his prisoner; Paul was in prison in Rome for a second time and would soon be executed]. But suffer with me for the ·Good News [Gospel]. God, who gives us the strength to do that,


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saved us and ·made us his holy people [called us to a holy calling]. That was not because of anything we did ourselves but because of ·God’s [his own] purpose and grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before ·time began [eternal times],


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but it is now ·shown [revealed; manifested] to us by the ·coming [appearing; manifestation] of our Savior Christ Jesus. He ·destroyed [broke the power of; abolished] death, and through the ·Good News [Gospel] he ·showed us the way to have [illuminated; brought to light] ·life that cannot be destroyed [immortal life; life and immortality].


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I was ·chosen [appointed] ·to tell that Good News [a preacher/herald] and to be an apostle and a teacher.


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I am suffering now ·because I tell the Good News [for this reason], but I am not ashamed, because I know the One in whom I have ·believed [put my trust/faith]. And I am ·sure [convinced; confident] he is able to ·protect [guard; keep safe] what ·he has trusted me with [or I have entrusted with him; my deposit/entrustment] until that day [the final day of judgment and reward].


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·Follow the pattern [or Hold to the standard/norm] of true teachings that you heard from me ·in [or accompanied by the] faith and love, which are ·available in [in] Christ Jesus.


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·Protect [Guard] the ·truth that you were given [the good deposit entrusted to you]; ·protect [guard] it ·with the help of [by the power of; through; by] the Holy Spirit who lives in us.


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You know that everyone in Asia [a Roman province in present-day western Turkey] has left me, even Phygelus and Hermogenes.


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May the Lord show ·mercy [kindness] to the family of Onesiphorus [; the reference to the “family” rather than the man may indicate that Onesiphorus has since died], who has often ·helped [encouraged; refreshed] me and was not ashamed ·that I was in prison [of my chains].


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May the Lord ·allow him to find [grant/give him] mercy from the Lord on that day [the final day of judgment and reward]. You know very well how many ways he ·helped [served] me in Ephesus [a major port city in the Roman province of Asia, present-day western Turkey; ].


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A Loyal Soldier of Christ Jesus You then, Timothy, my child, be strong in the grace we have in Christ Jesus.


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You should ·teach [entrust to; or pass on to] people ·whom you can trust [who are faithful/reliable] the things you have heard me say ·in the presence of [or confirmed by] many witnesses. Then they will be able to teach others.


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A soldier wants to please the ·enlisting [or commanding] officer, so no one serving in the army ·wastes time with [gets involved/entangled with] ·everyday matters [civilian affairs].


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Also an athlete who takes part in a contest must ·obey all [play by] the rules in order to ·win [be crowned; with the victor’s wreath].


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Remember Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead, who is from the ·family [seed] of David []. ·This is the Good News I preach […according to my Gospel],


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and I am suffering because of it to the point of being bound with chains like a criminal. But God’s ·teaching [message; word] is not in chains.


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So I ·patiently accept [endure] all these troubles so that those whom God has chosen can ·have [receive; obtain] the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. With that salvation comes ·glory that never ends [eternal glory].


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This ·teaching is true [saying/word is trustworthy; ; ; ; ; what follows may be an early Christian hymn]: If we died with him, we will also live with him.


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If we ·accept suffering [endure; persevere], we will also ·rule [reign] with him. If we ·say we don’t know [deny; disown; renounce] him, he will ·say he doesn’t know [deny; disown; renounce] us.


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If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he ·must be true to who he is [cannot deny/disown himself].


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A Worker Pleasing to God ·Continue teaching [Remind them of] these things, ·warning people [solemnly testifying/declaring] in God’s presence not to ·argue [quarrel] about words. It ·does not help anyone [is good for nothing], and it ruins those who listen.


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·Make every effort [Do your best; Be diligent] to ·give [present] yourself to God as the kind of person he will approve. Be a worker who ·is not ashamed [or will not be shamed] and who ·uses the true teaching in the right way [correctly handles the true message/word of truth; or holds carefully to the true message/word of truth].


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Stay away from ·foolish, useless talk [godless/irreverent chatter; ; ; ], because that will lead people ·further away from God [into even more ungodliness].


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Their evil teaching will spread like ·a sickness inside the body [gangrene]. Hymenaeus [] and Philetus are like that [probably false teachers and opponents of Paul from Ephesus].


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They have ·left [strayed away from] the ·true teaching [truth], saying that the ·rising from the dead [resurrection] has already taken place, and so they are ·destroying [undermining; overturning] the faith of some people.


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But God’s strong foundation continues to stand, ·sealed [inscribed; engraved] with these words: “The Lord knows those who belong to him [],” and “Everyone who ·wants to belong to [names the name of] the Lord must ·stop doing wrong [turn away from wickedess/injustice].”


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In a ·large house [wealthy household] there are not only ·things [vessels; dishes] made of gold and silver, but also ·things [vessels; dishes] made of wood and clay. Some things are used for ·special [honorable; noble] purposes, and others are made for ·ordinary [dishonorable; ignoble] jobs [such as garbage or excrement].


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All who make themselves clean from ·evil [these things; the false teaching described in ] will be used for ·special [honorable; noble] purposes. They will be made holy, useful to the Master, ready to do any good work.


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But ·run away from [flee] the ·evil desires [passions; desires] of youth. ·Try hard to live right and to have [Pursue righteousness,] faith, love, and peace, together with those who ·trust in [call upon] the Lord from pure hearts.


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·Stay away from [Avoid; Having nothing to do with] foolish and ·stupid [ignorant] ·arguments [controversies; speculation], because you know they ·grow into [breed; beget] quarrels.


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And a ·servant [slave; bondservant] of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, a ·good [qualified; able] teacher, and patient.


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·The Lord’s servant must gently teach […gently instructing/correcting] those who ·disagree [are opponents]. Then ·maybe [perhaps] God will ·let them change their minds [grant them repentance] ·so they can accept [leading to knowledge of] the truth.


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And they may ·wake up [come to their senses] and escape from the ·trap [snare] of the devil, who catches them to do ·what he wants [his will].


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The Last Days ·Remember [Know] this! In the last days there will be ·many troubles [difficult/terrible times],


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because people will love themselves, love money, ·brag [boast], and be ·proud [arrogant]. They will ·say evil things against others [speak abusively; or blaspheme] and will not obey their parents or be ·thankful [grateful] or be ·the kind of people God wants [holy; pious].


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They will not love others, will refuse to ·forgive [reconcile], will ·gossip [slander], and will not control themselves. They will be ·cruel [brutal], will ·hate [not love] what is good,


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will ·turn against their friends [be treacherous/traitors], and will ·do foolish things without thinking [be reckless]. They will be conceited, will love pleasure instead of God,


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·and will act as if they serve God [having a form/appearance of godliness/piety] but will ·not have his [or deny his/its] power. ·Stay away from [Avoid] those people.


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[For] Some of them ·go [sneak; worm their way; talk their way] into homes and ·get control of [captivate; gain influence over] ·silly [vulnerable; or idle] women who are ·full of [or burdened with (the guilt of)] sin and are ·led [swayed; controlled] by ·many [all kinds of] evil desires.


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These women are always ·learning [or seeking out] new teachings, but they are never able to ·understand [arrive at] the truth fully.


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Just as Jannes and Jambres were against Moses [the traditional names (not found in the OT) of the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses; ], these people are against the truth. Their ·thinking has been ruined [minds/thoughts are corrupted/depraved], and they ·have failed in trying to follow the faith [or are teaching a counterfeit faith].


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But they will not ·be successful in what they do [or get much further], because as with Jannes and Jambres, everyone will see ·that they are foolish [their folly/ignorance].


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Obey the Teachings But you have followed what I teach, the way I live, my ·goal [purpose/aim (in life)], faith, patience, and love. ·You know I never give up […my endurance].


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·You know how I have been hurt and have suffered […my persecution and suffering], as in Antioch [], Iconium [], and Lystra []. I have ·suffered [endured such persecutions], but the Lord ·saved [rescued; delivered] me from all those troubles.


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[Indeed; In fact] Everyone who wants to live ·as God desires [in a godly manner], in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted.


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But people who are evil and ·cheat others [impostors; charlatans] will go from bad to worse. ·They will fool others, but they will also be fooling themselves […deceiving and being deceived].


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But you should continue following the teachings you learned. You ·know [are confident] they are true, ·because you trust those who taught you [knowing from whom you learned them].


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Since you were a ·child [infant] you have known the ·Holy Scriptures [or sacred writings] which are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.


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All Scripture is ·inspired by God [breathed out by God; God-breathed] and is useful for teaching, for ·showing people what is wrong in their lives [refuting error; rebuking], for correcting faults, and for ·teaching how to live right [training in righteousness].


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·Using the Scriptures, […so that] ·the person who serves God [God’s person] will be ·capable [competent], ·having all that is needed [fully equipped] to do every good work.


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I ·give you a command [solemnly charge you] in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, the One who will judge the living and the dead, and by his ·coming [appearing] and his kingdom:


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Preach the ·Good News [Gospel]. Be ready ·at all times [whether it is convenient or inconvenient; in season or out of season], and ·tell people what they need to do [correct; reprove]. ·Tell them when they are wrong [Rebuke]. ·Encourage [Comfort; Exhort] them with ·great patience and careful teaching [all patience and teaching],


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because the time will come when people will not ·listen to [put up with; endure] the ·true [sound; healthy] teaching but will ·find many more [gather around themselves; accumulate] teachers who ·please them [meet their needs/desires] by saying the things ·they want to hear [their ears itch for].


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They will ·stop listening to [turn their ears/hearing away from] the truth and will ·begin to follow [wander/turn aside to] ·false stories [myths].


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But you should ·control yourself [be sober-minded] at all times, ·accept troubles [endure hardships], do the work of ·telling the Good News [an evangelist], and ·complete all the duties of a servant of God [fulfill your service/ministry].


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[For] My life is being ·given as an offering to God [poured out as a drink offering; ; ], and the time has come for ·me to leave this life [my departure].


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Now, a ·crown [victor’s wreath] is ·being held [reserved] for me—a ·crown [victor’s wreath] ·for being right with God [of righteousness]. The Lord, the ·judge who judges rightly [righteous/just judge], will give the ·crown [victor’s wreath] to me on that day [the final day of judgment and reward]—not only to me but to all those who have ·waited with love for him to come again [loved his appearing].


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because Demas [; ], who loved this ·world [present age], ·left [deserted] me and went to Thessalonica [a city in Macedonia, present-day northern Greece; ; ]. Crescens went to Galatia [a Roman province in present-day central Turkey; ], and Titus [; ; ] went to Dalmatia [a Roman province, mostly in present-day Croatia].


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Luke [; ] is the only one still with me. Get Mark [; ; ; ] and bring him with you when you come, because he can help me in my work here.


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When I was in Troas [a city in northwest Asia Minor; , ; ], I left my ·coat [cloak] there with Carpus. So when you come, bring it to me, along with my ·books [or scrolls], particularly the ones written on parchment [writing material made from animal skins].


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Alexander the ·metalworker [or coppersmith; ] did many ·harmful [evil] things against me. The Lord will ·punish [repay] him for what he did [].


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You also should be ·careful that he does not hurt you [on your guard], because he ·fought strongly against [strongly opposed] our ·teaching [message; words].


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·The first time I defended myself [or At my first defense/court hearing], no one ·helped me [appeared on my behalf]; everyone ·left [deserted] me. May ·they be forgiven [it not be counted/reckoned against them].


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But the Lord ·stayed [stood] with me and gave me strength so I could fully tell the ·Good News [Gospel; proclamation] for all the ·Gentiles [nations] to hear. So I was ·saved [rescued; delivered] from the lion’s mouth [a reference to literal or, more likely, figurative death; the lion may represent the Roman emperor Nero].


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The Lord will ·save [rescue; deliver] me ·when anyone tries to hurt me [from every evil deed], and he will ·bring me safely [save me] to his heavenly kingdom. Glory forever and ever be ·the Lord’s [to him]. Amen.


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Erastus [; ] stayed in Corinth [a major city in Achaia, present-day southern Greece; ; ; ], and I left Trophimus [; ] sick in Miletus [a coastal city near Ephesus; , ].


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·Try as hard as you can [Make every effort; Do your best] to come to me before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you. Also Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters in Christ greet you.


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From Paul, a ·servant [slave; bondservant] of God and an ·apostle [messenger] of Jesus Christ. I was sent ·to help [or in the service of; or to bring about] the faith of God’s ·chosen people [elect] and to help them know the truth that ·shows people how to serve God [or leads to godliness/piety].


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That faith and that knowledge ·come from [or lead to] the ·hope for [confidence/certainty of] ·life forever [eternal life], which God, who never lies, promised to us before ·time began [eternal times].


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At ·the right [the appointed; his own] time God ·let the world know about that life [revealed/manifested his word/message] through preaching. He ·trusted [entrusted] me with that work by the command of God our Savior.


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To Titus [; ; ; ], my ·true [genuine] child in the faith we share: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.


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Titus’ Work in Crete I left you in Crete [an island in the Mediterranean southeast of Greece] so you could ·finish doing [organize; straighten out] the things that still needed to be done and so you could appoint elders in every ·town [city], as I directed you.


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An elder [] must ·not be guilty of doing wrong [be blameless], must ·have only one wife [or be faithful to his wife], and must have ·believing [or faithful] children. They must not be ·known as children who are [accused of being] ·wild [reckless] and ·do not cooperate [unruly; undisciplined; rebellious].


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As God’s ·managers [stewards], overseers [probably the same church office as elder; , , ; ] must be ·innocent of wrongdoing [blameless], ·unselfish [not arrogant/self-willed], not ·quick-tempered [easily angered]. They must not ·drink too much wine [be a drunkard], ·like to fight [be violent/a brawler], or ·try to get rich by cheating others [be greedy for gain/dishonest in business].


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Overseers must be ·ready to welcome guests [hospitable], love what is good, be ·wise [self-controlled; sensible], ·live right [upright; just], and be ·holy [devout] and ·self-controlled [disciplined].


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By holding ·on [firmly] to the ·trustworthy [faithful] ·word [message] just as it was taught to them, overseers can ·encourage [exhort] people with ·true [sound; healthy] teaching, and they can ·correct [reprove; refute] those who are against it.


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There are many ·people who refuse to cooperate [unruly/rebellious people], who talk about ·worthless [empty; useless] things and ·lead others into the wrong way [deceive others]—·mainly [especially] those ·who insist on circumcision to be saved [or among the Jewish Christians; of the circumcision].


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These people must be ·stopped [silenced], because they are ·upsetting [misleading; ruining; overthrowing] whole families by teaching things they should not teach, which they do ·to get rich by cheating people [for dishonest gain].


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Even one of their own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil ·animals [beasts], and lazy ·people who do nothing but eat [gluttons; a quote from Epimenides, a poet from Crete (sixth century bc)].”


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·The words that prophet said are [This testimony is] true. So ·firmly [severely; sharply] ·tell those people they are wrong [rebuke/admonish them] so they may become ·strong [sound; healthy] in the faith,


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not ·accepting [paying attention to; wasting time with] Jewish ·false stories [myths; ; ; ] and the commands of people who ·reject [turn their backs on] the truth.


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To those who are pure, all things are pure, but to those who are ·full of sin [defiled; polluted (with sin)] and ·do not believe [unfaithful], nothing is pure. Both their minds and their consciences have been ·ruined [defiled; polluted].


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They ·say [claim; confess] they know God, but their actions show they ·do not accept [deny] him. They are ·hateful people [detestable; abominable], they refuse to obey, and they are ·useless [unfit; disqualified] for doing anything good.


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Follow the True Teaching But you must tell everyone what ·to do to follow [or is consistent with] ·the true [sound; healthy] teaching.


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Teach older men to be ·self-controlled [sober], ·serious [dignified; worthy of respect], ·wise [self-controlled], ·strong [sound; healthy] in faith, in love, and in ·patience [endurance].


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In the same way, teach older women to be ·holy [reverent] in their behavior, not ·speaking against [slandering; gossiping about] others or enslaved to ·too much wine [excessive drinking], but teaching what is good.


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to be ·wise [sensible; self-controlled] and pure, to be ·good workers at home [devoted to home life], to be kind, and to ·yield [submit] to their husbands. Then no one will be able to ·criticize [discredit; malign; blaspheme] the ·teaching God gave us [word of God].


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In every way be an example of doing good deeds. When you teach, do it with ·honesty [integrity] and ·seriousness [dignity].


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Speak ·the truth [a sound message] so that you cannot be ·criticized [condemned]. Then those who are against you will be ashamed because there is nothing bad to say about us.


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·Slaves [Bondservants] should ·yield [submit] to their own masters at all times, trying to please them and not ·arguing with [talking back to] them.


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They should not ·steal [pilfer] from them but should show their masters ·they can be fully trusted [or that their faith is good/productive; all good faith] so that in everything they do they will ·make attractive [adorn; show the beauty of] the teaching of God our Savior.


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·That is the way we should live, because [For] God’s grace that can save everyone has ·come [appeared; been revealed].


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It ·teaches [trains; disciplines] us to ·turn away from [reject; deny] ungodly living and ·the evil things the world wants to do [or worldly desires; sinful pleasures]. Instead, that grace teaches us to live in the present age in a ·wise [self-controlled] and ·right [upright; just] way and in a ·way that shows we serve God [godly manner].


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We should live like that while we wait for our ·great [happy; blessed] hope and the ·coming of the glory [glorious appearing/manifestation] of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.


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He gave himself for us so he might ·pay the price to free [redeem; ransom] us from all ·evil [wickedness; lawlessness] and to make us pure people who belong only to him—people who are always ·wanting [eager; zealous] to do good deeds.


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Say these things and ·encourage [exhort] the people and ·tell them what is wrong in their lives [rebuke/admonish them], with all authority. Do not let anyone ·treat you as if you were unimportant [look down on/despise/disregard you].


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The Right Way to Live Remind the believers to ·yield to the authority of [submit/be subject to] rulers and ·government leaders [authorities], to obey them, to be ready to do ·good [whatever is good; every good work],


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to ·speak no evil about anyone [slander no one], to ·live in peace [avoid fighting], and to be gentle and ·polite [considerate; courteous] to all people.


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In the past we also were foolish. We did not obey, we were ·wrong [mislead; deceived], and we were slaves to ·many things our bodies wanted and enjoyed [various passions and pleasures]. We spent our lives doing evil and being ·jealous [envious]. People hated us, and we hated each other.


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But when the kindness and ·love [love of humanity] of God our Savior ·was shown [appeared; was revealed],


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he saved us because of his mercy. It was not because of ·good deeds we did to be right with him [or righteous deeds we did]. He saved us through the washing ·that made us new people [of new-birth/regeneration and renewal] ·through [by] the Holy Spirit.


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God poured out ·richly [generously; abundantly] upon us that Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Savior.


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Being […so that having been] ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] by his grace, we could ·have the hope of receiving [become heirs with the hope/expectation of] ·the life that never ends [eternal life].


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This ·teaching is true [saying/word is trustworthy; ; ; ; ], and I want you to ·be sure the people understand [or insist on] these things. Then those who ·believe [trust; have faith] in God will ·be careful to use their lives for [devote themselves to; or take the lead in] doing good. These things are good and will ·help [be beneficial for] everyone.


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But ·stay away from [avoid] foolish ·arguments [controversies; debates] and ·talk about useless family histories [genealogies; ] and ·arguments [quarrels; disputes] and ·quarrels [fights] about the law [, ; ]. Those things are ·worth nothing [unprofitable] and ·will not help anyone [empty].


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After a first and second warning, ·avoid [reject; have nothing to do with] someone who ·causes arguments [is divisive; causes factions].


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You can know that such people are ·evil [warped; perverted; corrupt] and sinful; ·their own sins prove them wrong […being self-condemned].


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Some Things to Remember When I send Artemas or Tychicus [; ; ; ] to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis [a city located on the west coast of Greece], because I have decided to stay there this winter.


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·Do all you can [Make every effort] to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos [, ; ; ] on their journey so that they have everything they need.


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Our people must learn to ·use their lives for [devote themselves to; or take the lead in] doing good deeds to ·provide what is necessary [meet urgent needs] so that their lives will not be ·useless [unfruitful].


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From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy [; ; ], our brother. To Philemon, our ·dear friend [brother] and ·worker with us [coworker];


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to Apphia [perhaps Philemon’s wife], our sister; to Archippus [possibly Philemon’s son], ·a worker with us [our fellow soldier]; and to the church that meets in your home:


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because I hear about the love you have for all ·God’s holy people [the saints] and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus.


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I pray that the ·faith you share [the sharing/fellowship of your faith] may ·make you [enable/empower you to] understand every blessing we have in Christ.


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I have great joy and comfort, my brother, because the love you have shown to ·God’s people [the saints] has refreshed ·them [their hearts; their inward parts; the seat of emotions].


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Accept Onesimus as a Brother So, in Christ, I could be bold and order you to do what is ·right [required; proper; your duty].


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But because I love you, I am ·pleading with [appealing to; urging; encouraging] you instead. I, Paul, an old man now and also a prisoner [in Rome, about ad 60; ; ] for Christ Jesus,


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am ·pleading with [appealing to; urging; encouraging] you for my child Onesimus, ·who became my child [whom I begat/fathered; Paul evidently led Onesimus to Christ in Rome] while I was in prison.


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In the past he was ·useless [unprofitable; worthless] to you, but now he has become ·useful [helpful; valuable] for both you and me [a play on words, since Onesimus means “useful” or “helpful”].


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I wanted to keep him with me so that ·in your place [or on your behalf] he might ·help [serve] me while I am in prison for the ·Good News [Gospel].


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But I did not want to do anything without ·asking you first [your consent] so that any good you do for me will be because you want to do it, not ·because I forced you [out of compulsion].


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no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a loved brother. ·I love him very much, but you will love him even more […especially to me, but more so to you], both ·as a person [or in the natural realm; in the flesh] and ·as a believer in the Lord [or in the spiritual realm; in the Lord].


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So if you consider me your partner, ·welcome [receive; accept] Onesimus as you would ·welcome [receive; accept] me.


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If he has ·done anything wrong to [defrauded; harmed] you or if he owes you anything, charge that to me.


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I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand [contrary to his usual practice of using a scribe, or amanuensis; ]. I will pay it back, and I will ·say nothing about what [make no mention that] you owe me for your ·own life [very self; Paul had evidently led Philemon to Christ].


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·So [Yes], my brother, I ask ·that you do this for me [for this benefit/favor from you] in the Lord: Refresh my heart in Christ.


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I write this letter, ·knowing [confident of your obedience/compliance, knowing] that you will do what I ask you and even more.


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One more thing—prepare a ·room [guest room] for me in which to stay, because I hope God will answer your prayers and I will be ·able to come [restored; granted] to you.


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And also Mark [; ; ; ], Aristarchus [; ], Demas [; ], and Luke [; ], ·workers together with me [my coworkers], send greetings.


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God Spoke Through His Son ·In the past [Long ago] God spoke to our ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] through the prophets ·many times [or in a fragmentary/partial way; in many parts] and in many different ways.


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But now in these last days God has spoken to us through ·his Son [or a son; ]. God has ·chosen [appointed] his Son to ·own [be heir/inheritor of] all things, and through him he made the ·world [universe; ages; comprising both space and time; ].


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The Son ·reflects [or radiates; shines forth] the glory of God [] and ·shows exactly what God is like [is the exact representation/imprint/stamp of his being/essence/nature]. He ·holds everything together [sustains/upholds all things] with his powerful word. When the Son ·made people clean from their [provided purification/cleansing for] sins [], he sat down at the right ·side [hand; the most honored position beside a king; ] of ·God, the Great One in heaven [the Majesty/Preeminence in the highest places; a Jewish way to avoid saying the divine name of God].


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The Son became much ·greater [superior; better] than the angels, ·and [or just as; in the same way that] ·God gave him [he inherited] a name [either “Son” (), or referring to his nature or reputation] that is ·much greater than [far superior to] theirs.


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This is because God never said to any of the angels, “You are my Son. Today I have ·become your Father [begotten you; ; see ; ].” ·Nor did God say of any angel [And again], “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son [].”


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And [again] when God brings ·his firstborn Son [the firstborn; ] into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him [ (in the Greek version of the OT); similar words are found in the Greek version of and in a Hebrew copy among the Dead Sea Scrolls].”


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This is what God said about the angels: “·God makes his angels become like winds [or God makes winds into his messengers]. He makes ·his servants become like flames of fire [or flames of fire to be his servants; ].”


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But God said this about his Son: “·God, your throne [Your throne, O God; ] will last forever and ever. You will rule your kingdom with ·fairness [a just/righteous scepter; a scepter symbolizes royal authority].


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You love ·right [righteousness] and hate ·evil [wickedness; lawlessness], so ·God [God, your God,] has ·chosen [anointed] you ·from among your friends [or above your peers; above anyone else]; he has ·set you apart with much joy [anointed you with the oil of joy/rejoicing; ].”


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God also says, “Lord, in the beginning you ·made [laid the foundations of] the earth, and your hands made the ·skies [heavens].


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They will be destroyed, but you ·will remain [continue; forever]. They will all wear out like ·clothes [a garment].


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You will ·fold them [roll them up] like a ·coat [robe]. And, like ·clothes [a garment], you will change them. But you ·never change [are the same; ], and your ·life [years] will never ·end [fail; run out; ].”


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And God never said this to an angel: “Sit by me at my right ·side [hand; ] until I put your enemies ·under your control [as a footstool under your feet; ].”


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·All the angels are [Are they not…?] ·spirits who serve God [or ministering spirits] and are sent to ·help [serve] those who will ·receive [inherit] salvation.


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Our Salvation Is Great ·So [For this reason] we must ·be more careful to follow [pay even closer attention to] what we ·were taught [have heard]. Then we will not ·stray [drift] away from the truth.


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·The teaching [If/Since the message/word…] God spoke through angels [] was shown to be ·true [firm; reliable], and ·anyone who did not follow it or obey it [every violation/transgression and disobedience] received the punishment that ·was earned [it deserved; was just].


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·So surely we also will be punished [How will we escape…?] if we ignore ·this [such a] great salvation. The Lord himself first ·told about [announced] this salvation, and those who heard him ·testified [confirmed to us] it was true.


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God also ·testified to the truth of the message [joined in/confirmed their testimony] by using great signs, wonders, many kinds of ·miracles [acts of power], and by ·giving people [the distribution/apportioning of] gifts through the Holy Spirit, ·just as he wanted [or however he desired].


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Christ Became like Us [For] God did not ·choose angels to be the rulers of the new world that was coming [subject the world to come to angels], which is what we have been talking about.


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·It is written in the Scriptures [Someone has testified somewhere], “·Why are people even important to you [What is man/humanity that you remember/think about him/them]? ·Why do you take care of human beings [Or the son of man/children of Adam that you care for/about them]? 


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You made ·them [or him] ·a little [or for a little while] lower than the angels and crowned ·them [or him] with glory and honor. 


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You ·put all things under their control [subjected everything under his feet; ].” [For] When God ·put everything under their control [subjected everything to him], there was nothing left ·that they did not rule [uncontrolled; not subjected]. Still, [now; at the present time] we do not yet see ·them [or him; referring to humanity] ruling over everything.


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But we see Jesus, who for a short time was made lower than the angels. This was so that, by God’s grace, he could ·die [taste death] for everyone. And now, because he suffered and died, he is ·wearing a crown of [crowned with] glory and honor. [Jesus fulfills humanity’s destiny: to be crowned with glory and honor; (cited above).]


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God is the One ·who made all things, and all things are for his glory [through whom and for whom all things exist]. He wanted to ·have many children share his [lead/bring many children/sons to] glory, so [it was fitting/appropriate that] he made the ·One who leads people to [Leader/Pioneer/Source of their] salvation perfect through suffering.


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[For indeed] ·Jesus, [the one] who makes people holy, and those who are made holy ·are from the same family [or have the same Father; or have one origin; are all from one]. ·So [For this reason] he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.


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He says, “Then, I will ·tell my brothers and sisters about you [proclaim your name to my brothers (and sisters)]; I will ·praise [sing hymns/praise songs to] you in the ·public meeting [midst of the assembly; ].”


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He also says, “I will ·trust [put my confidence] in ·God [him; ].” And he also says, “I am here, and with me are the children God has given me [].”


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[Therefore] Since these children ·are people with physical bodies [have in common their flesh and blood], Jesus himself ·became like them [shared their humanity; likewise shared the same things]. He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil—


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and free those who were ·like slaves [held in slavery] all their lives because of their fear of death.


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[For] Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps, but the ·people who are from [seed/descendants of] Abraham [the father of the Jewish nation; ].


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For this reason Jesus had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way so he could ·be their [become a] merciful and faithful high priest in ·service [the things pertaining] to God. Then Jesus could ·die in their place to take away [make atonement for; be the sacrifice that pays for; be the sacrifice that appeases God’s wrath against] ·their sins [the sins of the people].


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And now he can help those who are ·tempted [or tested], because he himself suffered and ·was tempted [or was tested; or passed the test].


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Jesus Is Greater than Moses ·So all of you [Therefore] holy brothers and sisters, who ·were called by God [are partners/partakers in a heavenly calling], ·think about [consider; focus on] Jesus, who ·was sent to us [or is our apostle; a commissioned messenger] and is the high priest ·of our faith [or whom we acknowledge/confess; of our confession].


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Jesus was faithful to God who appointed him just as Moses was faithful in God’s ·family [household; house].


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Jesus ·has [deserves; is worthy of] more honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.


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Moses was faithful in ·God’s family [all of God’s house; ] as a servant, and he ·told [testified to] what God would say in the future.


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But Christ is faithful as a Son over God’s house. And we are God’s house if we ·confidently maintain our hope [or maintain our courage and confident hope].


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We Must Continue to Follow God So it is as the Holy Spirit says: “Today ·listen to what he says [if you hear his voice…]. 


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Do not ·be stubborn [harden your hearts] as in the past ·when you turned against God [as in the rebellion; ], when you tested God in the desert. 


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I was angry with ·them [that generation]. I said, ‘·They are not loyal to me [Their hearts are always wandering] and have not ·understood my ways [or discerned/obeyed my will].’


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I was angry and ·made a promise [swore an oath], ‘They will never enter my rest [; referring to the generation of Israel that disobeyed God and so were not allowed to enter the Promised Land ()].’”


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So brothers and sisters, ·be careful [see to it] that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that will ·turn you away from [desert; forsake] the living God.


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But encourage each other every day while it is “today” [meaning the time of opportunity to be saved; ]. ·Help [Encourage] each other so none of you will become hardened ·because sin has tricked you [by sin’s deception].


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[For] We all ·share in [or have become partners with] Christ if [indeed; in fact] we ·keep [hold firm] till the end the sure ·faith [conviction; confidence] we had in the beginning.


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This is what the Scripture says: “Today ·listen to what he says [if you hear his voice…]. Do not ·be stubborn [harden your hearts] as in the past ·when you turned against God [as in the rebellion; ; referring to ].”


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Who heard God’s voice and ·was against [rebelled against; provoked] him? ·It was [Was it not…?] all those people Moses led out of Egypt.


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And with whom was God angry for forty years? ·He was angry [Was it not…?] with those who sinned, ·who died [whose corpses/bodies fell] in the desert [, ].


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And to whom ·was God talking when he promised [did he swear] that they would never enter his rest []? He was talking to those who did not ·obey [or believe] him.


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So we see they were not allowed to enter [the Promised Land and God’s promised rest] because ·they did not believe [of unbelief/faithlessness].


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·Now [Therefore], since ·God has left us the promise [the promise remains/still stands] that we may enter his rest, let us ·be very careful [beware; be wary/afraid] so none of you will ·fail to enter [appear/be found to fall short].


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[For] The ·Good News [Gospel] was preached to us just as it was to them. But the ·teaching [message; word] they heard did not help them, because they heard it but did not ·accept [combine; join] it with faith.


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[For; Now] We who have believed are able to enter ·and have God’s rest [the rest]. As God has said, “I was angry and ·made a promise [declared/swore an oath], ‘They will never enter my rest [].’” But God’s work was finished from the ·time he made [foundation/creation of] the world.


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·In the Scriptures [For somewhere] he talked about the seventh day of the week: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his works [].”


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And again in ·the Scripture [or this passage; , the passage the author has been discussing] God said, “They will never enter my rest [].”


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·It is still true that some people will [or This passage shows that some can still] enter God’s rest, but those who ·first [or formerly] ·heard the way to be saved [had the Good News/Gospel proclaimed to them] did not enter, because they did not ·obey [believe; remain faithful].


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So God ·planned [set; established; ordained] another day, called “today” []. He spoke about that day through David a long time later in the ·same Scripture used before [words quoted before]: “Today ·listen to what he says [if you hear his voice…]. Do not ·be stubborn [harden your hearts; ].” 


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[For; Now] If Joshua [Moses’ successor, who led God’s people into the Promised Land; ] had ·led the people into that [given them] rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.


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This shows that the ·rest [Sabbath rest; sharing in the rest God enjoyed after Creation] for God’s people ·is still coming [or is still available; remains].


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Let us ·try as hard as we can [strive; make every effort] to enter ·God’s [that] rest so that no one will ·fail [be lost; fall] by following the example of those who ·refused to obey [or did not believe; were unfaithful].


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[For] God’s word is alive and ·working [active; powerful; effective] and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It ·cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones [penetrates until it divides even soul and spirit, joints and marrow]. And it ·judges [discerns] the ·thoughts [ideas] and ·feelings [attitudes; intentions] in our hearts.


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·Nothing in all the world [Nothing in all creation; or No creature] can be hidden from God. Everything is ·clear [naked] and ·lies open before him [exposed to his eyes], and to him we must ·explain the way we have lived [give an account; answer].


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Jesus Is Our High Priest [Therefore] Since we have a great high priest [], Jesus the Son of God, who has ·gone into [ascended to; or passed through] ·heaven [or the heavens], let us hold ·on [firmly] to ·the faith we have [the confession/profession; of our faith].


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·For our high priest is able [For we do not have a high priest who is unable] to ·understand [sympathize with] our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin.


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Let us, then, ·feel very sure that we can come before [confidently approach] God’s throne ·where there is grace [of grace; as opposed to a throne of judgment and condemnation]. There we can receive mercy and ·grace [find grace] to help us ·when we need it [at the right time].


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[For] Every high priest is chosen from among ·the people [human beings; to represent humans, the priest must himself be human] and is ·given the work of going before God for them [appointed to represent people in things related to God] to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.


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Since he himself is weak [subject to human frailty, both physical and moral], he is able to be gentle with those who ·do not understand [are ignorant] and who are ·doing wrong things [easily deceived; wayward; going astray].


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Because he is weak, the high priest must offer sacrifices for his own sins and also for the sins of the people [].


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To be a high priest is an honor, but no one ·chooses himself for this work [takes this office by his own authority; takes this honor for himself]. He must be ·called [chosen] by God as Aaron was [Moses’ brother and Israel’s first high priest; ].


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So also ·Christ [or the Messiah; either a proper name or a title] did not ·choose himself to have the honor of being [glorify/exalt himself by becoming] a high priest, but God ·chose [glorified; exalted] him. God said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have ·become your Father [begotten you; ].”


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And in another Scripture God says, “You are a priest forever, ·a priest like [in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek [].” [See ; Melchizedek was a priest and king in the time of Abraham; .]


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·While Jesus lived on earth [In the days of his flesh/earthly life], he ·prayed to God and asked God for help [offered prayers and petitions]. He prayed with loud cries and tears to the One who could save him from death, and his prayer was heard because ·he trusted God [of his reverence/devotion; referring especially to Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane; ; ; , ].


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Even though Jesus was ·the Son of God [or a son; with all the rights and privileges of an heir], he learned obedience by what he suffered [through total obedience to God, Jesus achieved the glorified or perfected state God originally intended for human beings; ].


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And ·because his obedience was perfect [or having achieved perfection], he ·was able to give [became the source/means of] eternal salvation to all who obey him.


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In this way God ·made [designated; appointed] Jesus a high priest, ·a priest like [in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek [; ].


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Warning Against Falling Away We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are so ·slow to understand [hard of hearing; spiritually].


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By now you should be teachers, but you need someone to teach you again the ·first lessons [elementary truths; basic principles] of God’s ·message [revelation; oracles]. You still need ·the teaching that is like milk [milk]. You are not ready for solid food.


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[For] Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby and ·knows nothing about [or is unskilled/inexperienced with] ·right teaching [or the message about righteousness].


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But solid food is for those who are ·grown up [mature]. ·They are mature enough […who through practice/exercise have trained their faculties/senses] to know the difference between good and evil.


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·So [Therefore] let us ·go on to grown-up teaching [move forward to maturity/completeness]. Let us ·not go back over [leave behind] the ·beginning [rudimentary; elementary] ·lessons [teaching; word] we learned about ·Christ [or the Messiah; ]. We should not again ·start teaching [lay a foundation] about ·turning away [repentance] from ·those acts that lead to death [or useless works; dead works] and about faith in God.


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We should not return to the teaching about baptisms [either Christian baptism or Jewish ceremonial washings], about laying on of hands [a ritual of blessing and/or conferring of authority], about the raising of the dead and eternal judgment [these may be Jewish practices or foundational Christian teaching].


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For it is impossible to ·bring back again to a changed life [renew again to repentance] those who were once ·in God’s light [enlightened], and ·enjoyed [experienced; tasted] ·heaven’s gift [or the heavenly gift; perhaps the gift of salvation], and ·shared in [partook of] the Holy Spirit.


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They ·found out [tasted] how good God’s word is, and ·they received [tasted] the ·powers [miracles] of ·his new world [the coming age/world].


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If they have ·fallen away [committed apostasy], it is impossible to ·bring them back to a changed life again [renew them again to repentance], because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are ·shaming him in front of others [making a public disgrace/exhibition of him].


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·Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain and [Land that drinks in the abundance of rain] produces a ·good [useful] crop for those who ·work [farm] it. That land receives God’s blessings.


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·Other people are like land that [But if it…] grows thorns and ·weeds [thistles] and is worthless. It is about to be cursed by God and ·will be destroyed by fire [its end/fate is burning].


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·Dear friends [Loved ones; Beloved], we are saying this to you, but we ·really expect [are convinced/confident of] better things from you that ·will lead to [or accompany; come with] your salvation.


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[For] God is ·fair [not unjust]; he will not forget the work you did and the love you showed ·for him [in his name] by ·helping [serving] his ·people [holy people; saints]. And he will remember that you are still ·helping [serving] them.


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We ·want [desire for] each of you to ·go on with the same hard work [demonstrate the same zeal/diligence] ·all your lives [until the end] ·so you will surely get what you hope for [or until your hope is fulfilled/attained].


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We do not want you to become ·lazy [sluggish; in contrast to diligent; ]. Be ·like [imitators of] those who through faith and ·patience [endurance] will ·receive [inherit] what God has promised.


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[For] God made a promise to Abraham. And as there is no one greater than God, he ·used himself [vowed by his own name; swore by himself] when he swore to Abraham,


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saying, “I will ·surely [or greatly] bless you and ·give you many [greatly multiply your] descendants [].”


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[For] People always ·use the name of [swear by] someone greater than themselves when they swear. The oath ·proves [is confirmation] that what they say is true, and this ·ends all arguing [or settles the dispute; an oath by a higher authority is taken as a legal guarantee].


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God wanted to ·make very clear [demonstrate convincingly] to ·those who would get what he promised [the heirs of the promise] that his ·purposes [or plans] never change, so he ·made [confirmed/guaranteed it with] an oath.


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These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things greatly encourage us, who ·came [have fled] to God for safety, to hold on to the hope ·we have been given [set before us].


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We have this hope as an anchor for ·the soul [our lives], ·sure [stable; secure] and ·strong [reliable; unshifting]. It enters behind the curtain in the ·Most Holy Place in heaven [inner place/sanctuary],


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where Jesus has gone ·ahead of us [as a forerunner] ·and for us [on our behalf]. He has become the high priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek [; , ; ].


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The Priest Melchizedek Melchizedek [a priest and king in the time of Abraham; ; , ; ] was the king of Salem [another name for Jerusalem, meaning “peace”; ] and a priest for God Most High. He met Abraham when Abraham was coming back after ·defeating [the slaughter of] the kings []. When they met, Melchizedek blessed Abraham,


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and Abraham ·gave [apportioned/divided to] him a ·tenth [tithe] ·of everything he had brought back from the battle [of everything]. First, Melchizedek’s name means “king of ·goodness [righteousness; justice],” and he is king of Salem [another name for Jerusalem], which means “king of peace.”


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·No one knows who Melchizedek’s father or mother was […without father, without mother], ·where he came from [without genealogy], ·when he was born, or when he died [having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; something unstated was assumed not to exist]. Melchizedek is like the Son of God; he continues being a priest forever [Melchizedek’s unmentioned genealogy in Genesis is, by analogy, like Jesus’ eternal Sonship and priesthood].


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You can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham, the ·great father [patriarch], gave him a tenth of ·everything that he won in battle [the spoils/booty/plunder].


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Now the law ·says [authorizes; commands] that those ·in the tribe [of the sons/descendants] of Levi who become priests must collect a ·tenth [tithe] from the people—their ·own people [brothers (and sisters)]—even though ·the priests and the people [they] ·are from the family [are also descendants; have come from the loins/body] of Abraham.


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[But] Melchizedek was not ·from the tribe of Levi [descended from them; ; he was not from the Levitical line of priests], but he collected a ·tenth [tithe] from Abraham. And he blessed Abraham, the man who had God’s promises [].


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Now ·everyone knows [it is indisputable] that the ·more important person blesses the less important person [lesser/inferior is blessed by the greater/superior].


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·Priests receive a tenth, even though they are only men who live and then die [In the one case, mortal men receive a tithe,…]. ·But Melchizedek, who received a tenth from Abraham, continues living, as the Scripture says […but in the other case, the one (receives the tithe) who is declared (by Scripture) to be alive].


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We might even say that Levi, who receives a ·tenth [tithe], also paid it when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth.


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Levi was not yet born, but he was in the ·body [loins] of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham [the Levitical priesthood is considered inferior to Melchizedek’s (and Christ’s) priesthood, since Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek through his ancestor Abraham].


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·The people were given the law concerning the system of priests from the tribe of Levi, but they could not be made perfect through that system [If perfection could be attained through the Levitical priesthood, established for the people in the law…]. ·So there was […why was there…?] a need for another priest to come, a priest ·like [in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek, not [in the priestly order/line of] Aaron [Moses’ brother and Israel’s first high priest (; ); the existence of Melchizedek’s priestly line implies that the priesthood through Levi and Aaron was inadequate].


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And when a different ·kind of priest [priesthood; priestly line] comes, the law must be changed, too.


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·We are saying these things about Christ, who [For the one about whom these things are said] belonged to a different tribe [Jesus belonged to the tribe of Judah, not Levi]. No one from that tribe [Judah] ever served as a priest at the altar.


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It is clear that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests belonging to that tribe [the kings from David’s line (including Jesus) came from the tribe of Judah, but the OT priesthood came through Levi and Aaron].


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Jesus Is like Melchizedek And this becomes even more clear ·when we see that [if] another priest ·comes [arises; appears on the scene] who is like Melchizedek [].


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He was not made a priest by ·human rules and laws [or regulations about physical descent/ancestry] but through the power of his life, which ·continues forever [or is indestructable].


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[For] It is said about him, “You are a priest forever, ·a priest like [in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek [; , ].”


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The ·old [former] ·rule [commandment; regulation] is now ·set aside [nullified; abolished], because it was weak and ·useless [ineffective].


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The law [of Moses] could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us, and ·with [by means of; through] this hope we can ·come near to [approach] God.


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·It is important that God did this with an oath [And it was not without an oath]. Others became priests without an oath,


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but ·Christ [he] became a priest with an oath, ·when God said [by the one who said] to him: “The Lord has ·made a promise [sworn; an oath] and will not change his mind. ‘You are a priest forever [; ].’”


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·This means that [Because of this oath,] Jesus is the guarantee of a better ·agreement from God to his people [covenant; contract; ; ; the new covenant is greater than the old (the law of Moses) because it provides true forgiveness of sins].


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When one of the other priests died, he could not continue being a priest. So there were many priests.


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But because Jesus ·lives [remains; abides] forever, he ·will never stop serving as priest [has a permanent/eternal priesthood].


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So he is able ·always to save [or to save completely/forever] those who come to God through him because he always lives, ·asking God to help [interceding for] them.


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·Jesus is the kind of high priest we need [For such a high priest is indeed suited/fitting for us]. He is holy, ·sinless [innocent; blameless], ·pure [undefiled], ·not influenced by [set apart from] sinners, and he is ·raised above the heavens [or having the highest place in heaven].


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He is not like the other priests who had to offer sacrifices every day, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Christ offered his sacrifice only once and for all time [; ] when he offered himself.


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The law ·chooses [designates; appoints] high priests who are people with weaknesses [], but the word of God’s oath came later than the law. It made God’s Son to be the high priest, and that Son has been made perfect forever [; ].


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Jesus Is Our High Priest Here is the [main; most important] point of what we are saying: We have a high priest who sits on the right side of ·God’s [the Majesty’s] throne in heaven.


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Our high priest ·serves [ministers; performs priestly service] in the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; holy things], the true ·place of worship [Tabernacle; Holy Tent; ] that was made by the Lord, not by humans.


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[For] Every high priest ·has the work of offering [is appointed to offer] gifts and sacrifices to God. So our high priest must also ·offer something to God [have something to offer].


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If our high priest were now living on earth, he would not be a priest, because there are already priests here who follow the law by offering gifts to God.


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·The work they do as priests [or The sanctuary in which they serve] is only a ·copy [model; prototype] and a shadow of what is in heaven. This is why God warned Moses when he was ready to build the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle]: “Be very careful to make everything by the ·plan [pattern; design] I showed you on the mountain [].”


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But the priestly ·work [service; ministry] that has been given to Jesus is ·much greater than [far superior to] the work that was given to the other priests. In the same way, the new ·agreement [covenant; contract] that Jesus ·brought from God to his people [mediates] is much ·greater [better] than the old one. And the new ·agreement [covenant; contract] is ·based [founded; legally enacted] on ·promises of better things [better promises; all God’s promises are reliable, but these promises bring greater blessings].


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If there had been ·nothing wrong [no fault] with the first ·agreement [covenant; contract; given to Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai], there would have been no ·need for [or reason to look for; or occasion for God to establish] a second ·agreement [one; the Mosaic covenant was insufficient because it did not provide true forgiveness of sins; ].


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But God ·found something wrong with his people and said [or found fault with the covenant, and said to his people]: “·Look [Behold], the ·time is [days are] coming, says the Lord, when I will ·make [complete; establish] a new ·agreement [covenant; contract] with the ·people [house] of Israel and the ·people [house] of Judah. 


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It will not be like the ·agreement [covenant] I made with their ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] when I took them by the hand to bring them out of [the land of] Egypt. But they ·broke [did not abide by] that ·agreement [covenant; contract], and I ·turned away from [abandoned; stopped caring for] them, says the Lord.


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[For; But] This is the ·agreement [covenant; contract] I will make with the ·people [house] of Israel ·at that time [after those days], says the Lord. I will put my ·teachings [laws] in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.


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People will no longer have to teach their ·neighbors [fellow citizens] and ·relatives [brothers (and sisters)] ·to know the Lord [saying, “Know the Lord”], because all people will know me, from the least to the ·most important [greatest].


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I will ·forgive them for [be merciful with regard to] ·the wicked things they did [their unrighteousness/wickedness], and I will not remember their sins anymore [; ].”


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God called this a new ·agreement [covenant; contract], so he has made ·the first agreement [the first one] ·old [obsolete; outdated]. And anything that is ·old [obsolete; outdated] and worn out is ready to disappear.


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The Old Agreement The first ·agreement [covenant; contract; given to Israel through Moses; , ] had ·rules [regulations; requirements] for worship and a ·place on earth for worship [earthly sanctuary/holy place].


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The ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle; ; ] was ·set up [constructed; prepared] for this. The first area in the Tent was called the Holy Place. In it were the lampstand [] and the table [] with the ·bread that was made holy for God [consecrated bread; bread of presentation/offering; ; ].


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Behind the second curtain was a ·room [section; tent] called the ·Most Holy Place [Holy of Holies; ].


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In it was a golden altar for burning incense [] and the ·Ark [box; chest] ·that held the old agreement [of the covenant/contract; ; ], covered [completely; on all sides] with gold. Inside this Ark was a golden jar of manna [], Aaron’s rod that once grew leaves [], and the stone tablets of the ·old agreement [covenant; contract; ; ; ].


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Above the Ark were the ·creatures that showed God’s glory [or glorious cherubim; ; angelic beings representing God’s presence and glory; ; ; ], ·whose wings reached over [overshadowing] the ·lid [mercy seat; atonement cover; ]. But we cannot ·tell everything about [discuss in detail] these things now.


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When everything was made ready in this way, the priests went into the ·first room [outer room; first tent] ·every day [regularly] to ·worship [serve; minister; perform their priestly duties; ].


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But only the high priest could go into the ·second room [inner room; second one], and he did that only once a year [; , ]. He could never enter the inner room without taking blood [from the sacrificial animal] with him, which he offered to God for himself and for sins the people did ·without knowing they did them [unintentionally; in ignorance].


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The Holy Spirit uses this to show that the way into the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; holy things; Holy of Holies] ·was not open [or had not yet been revealed] while the ·system of the old Holy Tent [or outer room of the Tabernacle; first tent/Tabernacle] was still ·being used [in place; standing].


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This is an ·example [illustration; symbol] for the present time. It shows that the gifts and sacrifices offered cannot make the conscience of the worshiper ·perfect [clear; pure].


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These gifts and sacrifices were only about food and drink and special [ceremonial; ritual] washings. They were ·rules for the body [or external regulations], ·to be followed [in force; applying] until the time of God’s ·new way [reformation; new order].


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The New Agreement But when Christ came as the high priest of the good things ·we now have [that have come], he entered the greater and more perfect ·tent [tabernacle]. It is not made ·by humans [with hands] and does not belong to this ·world [creation; created order].


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Christ entered the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; holy things; Holy of Holies] ·only once—and for all time [once for all; ; ]. ·He did not take with him […not by means of] the blood of goats and calves. ·His sacrifice was […but by means of] his own blood, and by it he ·set us free from sin forever [obtained/secured eternal redemption/liberation].


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The blood of goats and bulls [] and the ashes of a ·cow [young cow; heifer; , ] are sprinkled on the people who are [ritually] unclean, and this ·makes their bodies clean again [restores their body to ritual purity].


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How much more is done by the blood of Christ. He offered himself through the eternal ·Spirit [or spirit; most likely the Holy Spirit, though possibly Christ’s own eternal spirit, or as a “spiritual” and eternal sacrifice] as a ·perfect [unblemished] sacrifice to God. His blood [signifying his sacrificial death] will make our consciences ·pure [cleansed] from ·useless acts [or acts that lead to death; dead works; ] so we may ·serve [worship; offer priestly service for] the living God.


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For this reason Christ ·brings a new agreement from God to his people [is the mediator of a new covenant/contract]. Those who are called by God can now receive the eternal ·blessings [inheritance] he has promised. They can have those things because Christ died to ·set them free [redeem them] from the ·sins [transgressions; violations] committed under the first agreement [covenant; contract].


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When there is a ·will [last will and testament; the same Greek word translated “agreement” in ; the author develops his illustration from the various meanings of the word], it must be proven that the one who wrote that ·will [last will and testament] is dead.


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[For; Because] A ·will [last will and testament] ·means nothing [carries no force] while the person is alive; it can ·be used [take effect] only after the person dies.


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This is why even the first ·agreement [covenant; contract; the same Greek word as “will” in ] could not ·begin [be inaugurated/put into effect] without blood [the death of a sacrificial animal].


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First, Moses told all the people every command in the law. Next he took the blood of calves and mixed it with water. Then he used ·red [scarlet] wool and a branch of the hyssop plant to sprinkle it on the book of the law and on all the people.


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He said, “This is the blood ·that begins [that seals/confirms; of] the ·Agreement [Covenant; Contract] that God commanded you to ·obey [keep; ].”


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In the same way, Moses sprinkled the blood on the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle] and over all the ·things [vessels; utensils] used in worship.


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The law says that almost everything must be ·made clean [purified; cleansed] by blood, and sins cannot be forgiven without ·blood to show death [the shedding of blood; signifying death to pay the penalty of sin].


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Christ’s Death Takes Away Sins So the ·copies [symbols; models; prototypes] of the real things in heaven had to be ·made clean [purified; cleansed] by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven need much better sacrifices.


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[For] Christ did not go into ·the Most Holy Place [a sanctuary; holy things] made by ·humans [hands], which is only a ·copy [model; or prefiguration] of the real one. He went into heaven itself and ·is there [appears] now ·before [in the presence of] God ·to help us [for us; on our behalf].


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The high priest enters the ·Most Holy Place [sanctuary; holy things; Holy of Holies] once every year with blood that is not his own. But Christ did not offer himself many times.


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·Then [Otherwise; In such a case,] he would have had to suffer many times ·since the world was made [from the foundation/creation of the world]. But Christ ·came [appeared] ·only once and for all time [once for all; ; , ; ] at the ·end [culmination; climax] of ·the present age [time; the ages] to ·take away all [nullify; abolish] sin by sacrificing himself.


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Just as ·everyone [people] ·must [is/are destined/appointed to] die once and ·then be judged [after this the judgment],


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so Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to ·take away [bear] the sins of many people []. And he will ·come [appear] a second time, not to offer himself for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.


