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are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, || Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.

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,

18 The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.

Written from Rome to the Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus.

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE,

TO THE THESSALONIANS.

CHAP. I.

HISTORY OF THEIR CONVER

SION.

PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the 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;

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 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.

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 Fa-God-ward is spread abroad; so ther;

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

4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

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 THEY RECEIVED THE

GOSPEL.

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,

7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

8 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 his children,)

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.

14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus for ye also have

when we might have been bur-suffered like things of your own densome, as the apostles of Christ.

countrymen, even as they have of the Jews;

15 Who both killed the Lord || moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

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 alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

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 17 But we, brethren, being know your faith, lest by some taken from you for a short time means the tempter have temptin presence, not in heart, endea-ed you, and our labour be in voured the more abundantly to vain. 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?

6 But now, when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance 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 affliction and distress by

20 For ye are our glory and your faith; joy.

CHAP. III.

PAUL'S LOVE IN SENDING

TIMOTHY.

WHEREFORE, when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone,

2 And sent Timotheus our brother, and minister of God, and our fellow-labourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning 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 exceedingly 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

3 That no man should be increase and abound in love one

towards another, and towards all men, even as we do towards you;

13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his

saints.

CHAP. IV.

EXHORTATION TO GODLINESS.

FURTHERMORE, then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter; because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you, and testified.

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holi

ness.

8 He, therefore, that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

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.

10 And indeed ye do it towards 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 towards 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 arch-angel, and with the trump

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L21CA1PTION OF CHRIST 1
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BUT of the times and the wavona, brethren, ye have LO need that I write unto you:

2 For yourselves know per. fectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

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11 Wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edif one another, even as also ve 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 works' sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden 14 Now we exhort you, brethdestruction cometh upon them, ren, warn them that are unruly, as travail upon a woman with comfort the feeble-minded, supchild; and they shall not esport the weak, be patient toward all men.

cape.

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.

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