23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will-worship and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. CHAP. III. Of seeking Christ, &c. above, not on things on the earth. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 16 Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy-day, or of the newmoon, or of the sabbath-days; 17 Which are a shadow of things to come: but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not 10 And have put on the new seen, vainly puffed up by his flesh-man, which is renewed in knowfy mind; ledge, after the image of him that 19 And not holding the Head,from created him: which all the body, by joints and 11 Where there is neither Greek bands, having nourishment mini-norJew,circumcision nor uncircumstered, and knit together, increas-cision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond eth with the increase of God. nor free but Christ is all, and in all. 20 Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 12 Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, howels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; 21 (Touch not, taste not, handle not, 22 Which all are to perish with the using,) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And, above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. F be seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Enter your affection on things 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teach psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ir And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the 7 All my state shall Tychicus Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God declare unto you, who is a beloved and the Father by him. brother, and a faithful minister, and fellow-servant in the Lord: 18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts; 9 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you: they shall make known unto you all things which are done here. 10 Aristarchus,my fellow-prison er,saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him ;). 11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. KEY 13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. 2 15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. 16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. 18 The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen. Written from Rome to the Colos sians, by Tychicus and Onesimus. F ६. 1 The First Epistle of PAUL, the Apostle, to the THESSALONIANS. CHAP. I. Paul's thanksgiving and prayer. PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timo church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. 6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received f the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost: 7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. CHAP. II. How the gospel was preached, &c. FOR yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: 2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. 3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness: 6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: & So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblameably, we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11 As ye know, how we exhorted and comforted, and charged every one of you, (as a father doth | know that we are appointed therehis children,) unto. 12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. 13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 6 But now, when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us fol-good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remem. brance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you; 7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our af fliction and distress by your faith: 8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; 10 Night and day praying ex ceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 11 Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. 12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 13 To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. CHAP. IV. 14 For ye, brethren, became lowers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews; 15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men; 16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins always: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. 17 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. 18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul once and again, but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? 4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. 5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. 20 For ye are our glory and joy. CHAP. III. WH Paul's love to the Thessalonians. THEREFORE, when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; FUR Paul exhorteth to godliness, &c. URTHERMORE then we be-seech you, brethren, and exhort 2 And sent Timotheus our bro-you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye ther, and minister of God, and our have received of us how ye ought fellow-labourer in the gospel of to walk, and to please God, so ye Christ, to establish you, and to com- would abound more and more. fort you concerning your faith; 3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you bythe LordJesus. 3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye] remain shall be caught up togeshould abstain from fornication: ther with them in the clouds, to 4 That every one of you should meet the Lord in the air: and so know how to possess his vessel in shall we ever be with the Lord. sanctification and honour; 18 Wherefore, comfort one ano 5 Not in the lust of concupis-ther with these words. cence, even as the Gentiles which CHAP. V. know not God. Of Christ's coming to judgment, &c. f. That no man go beyond and BUT of the times and the sea defraud his brother in any matter; because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you, and testified. sons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. & He, therefore, that despiseth, despiseth not man,but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 9 But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night. 8. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you,brethren, that ye increase more and more; 11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. 13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that.Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, That we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we which are alive and 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort |