Not Philosophy but Christ

2 For I want you to know what a great ^(A)conflict^[a] I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, ^[b]both of the Father and of Christ, ^3 (B)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

⁴ Now this I say ^(C)lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. ⁵ For ^(D)though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[c]to see ^(E)your good order and the ^(F)steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

^6 (G)As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ^7 (H)rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding ^[d]in it with thanksgiving.

⁸ Beware lest anyone ^[e]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to ^(I)the tradition of men, according to the ^(J)basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For ^(K)in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead ^[f]bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the ^(L)head of all ^[g]principality and power.

Not Legalism but Christ

¹¹ In Him you were also ^(M)circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by ^(N)putting off the body ^[h]of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ^12 (O)buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through ^(P)faith in the working of God, ^(Q)who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ^14 (R)having wiped out the ^[i]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ^15 (S)Having disarmed ^(T)principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

¹⁶ So let no one ^(U)judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a ^[j]festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ^17 (V)which are a shadow of things to come, but the ^[k]substance is of Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has ^[l]not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding fast to ^(W)the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, ^(X)grows with the increase that is from God.

^20 [m]Therefore, if you ^(Y)died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, ^(Z)why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— ^21 (AA)“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” ²² which all concern things which perish with the using—^(AB)according to the commandments and doctrines of men? ^23 (AC)These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and ^[n]neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Not Carnality but Christ

3 If then you were ^(AD)raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, ^(AE)where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the ^(AF)earth. ^3 (AG)For you died, ^(AH)and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ^4 (AI)When Christ who is ^(AJ)our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in ^(AK)glory.

^5 (AL)Therefore put to death ^(AM)your members which are on the earth: ^(AN)fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^(AO)which is idolatry. ^6 (AP)Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon ^(AQ)the sons of disobedience, ^7 (AR)in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

^8 (AS)But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who ^(AT)is renewed in knowledge ^(AU)according to the image of Him who ^(AV)created him, ¹¹ where there is neither ^(AW)Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, ^(AX)but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

¹² Therefore, ^(AY)as the elect of God, holy and beloved, ^(AZ)put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ^13 (BA)bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ^14 (BB)But above all these things ^(BC)put on love, which is the ^(BD)bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let ^(BE)the peace of God rule in your hearts, ^(BF)to which also you were called ^(BG)in one body; and ^(BH)be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another ^(BI)in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And ^(BJ)whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The Christian Home^(BK)

^18 (BL)Wives, submit to your own husbands, ^(BM)as is fitting in the Lord.

^19 (BN)Husbands, love your wives and do not be ^(BO)bitter toward them.

^20 (BP)Children, obey your parents ^(BQ)in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

^21 (BR)Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

^22 (BS)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ^23 (BT)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ^24 (BU)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; ^(BV)for^[o] you serve the Lord Christ. ²⁵ But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and ^(BW)there is no partiality.

Christian Graces; Final Greetings

4 Masters,^(BX) give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Christian Graces

^2 (BY)Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it ^(BZ)with thanksgiving; ^3 (CA)meanwhile praying also for us, that God would ^(CB)open to us a door for the word, to speak ^(CC)the ^[p]mystery of Christ, ^(CD)for which I am also in chains, ⁴ that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

^5 (CE)Walk in ^(CF)wisdom toward those who are outside, ^(CG)redeeming the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be ^(CH)with grace, ^(CI)seasoned with salt, ^(CJ)that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Final Greetings^(CK)

^7 (CL)Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ^8 (CM)I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that ^[q]he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, ⁹ with ^(CN)Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.

^10 (CO)Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with ^(CP)Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹ and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.

^12 (CQ)Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always ^(CR)laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand ^(CS)perfect and ^[r]complete in all the will of God. ¹³ For I bear him witness that he has a great ^[s]zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. ^14 (CT)Luke the beloved physician and ^(CU)Demas greet you. ¹⁵ Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and ^[t]Nymphas and ^(CV)the church that is in ^[u]his house.

Closing Exhortations and Blessing

¹⁶ Now when ^(CW)this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. ¹⁷ And say to ^(CX)Archippus, “Take heed to ^(CY)the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

^18 (CZ)This salutation by my own hand—Paul. ^(DA)Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the ^(B)Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace ^[a]from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Their Good Example

^2 (C)We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, ³ remembering without ceasing ^(D)your work of faith, ^(E)labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, ⁴ knowing, beloved brethren, ^(F)your election by God. ⁵ For ^(G)our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, ^(H)and in the Holy Spirit ^(I)and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

⁶ And ^(J)you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, ^(K)with joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. ⁸ For from you the word of the Lord ^(L)has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also ^(M)in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. ⁹ For they themselves declare concerning us ^(N)what manner of entry we had to you, ^(O)and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and ^(P)to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us ^(Q)from the wrath to come.

Paul’s Conduct^(R)

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. ² But ^[b]even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at ^(S)Philippi, as you know, we were ^(T)bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. ^3 (U)For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

⁴ But as ^(V)we have been approved by God ^(W)to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, ^(X)not as pleasing men, but God ^(Y)who tests our hearts. ⁵ For ^(Z)neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a ^[c]cloak for covetousness—^(AA)God is witness. ^6 (AB)Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when ^(AC)we might have ^(AD)made demands ^(AE)as apostles of Christ. ⁷ But ^(AF)we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. ⁸ So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased ^(AG)to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also ^(AH)our own lives, because you had become dear to us. ⁹ For you remember, brethren, our ^(AI)labor and toil; for laboring night and day, ^(AJ)that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

^10 (AK)You are witnesses, and God also, ^(AL)how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹ as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and ^[d]charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, ^12 (AM)that you would walk worthy of God ^(AN)who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Their Conversion

¹³ For this reason we also thank God ^(AO)without ceasing, because when you ^(AP)received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it ^(AQ)not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively ^(AR)works in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brethren, became imitators ^(AS)of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For ^(AT)you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ^15 (AU)who killed both the Lord Jesus and ^(AV)their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God ^(AW)and are ^[e]contrary to all men, ^16 (AX)forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always ^(AY)to fill up the measure of their sins; ^(AZ)but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

Longing to See Them

¹⁷ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time ^(BA)in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. ¹⁸ Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but ^(BB)Satan hindered us. ¹⁹ For ^(BC)what is our hope, or joy, or ^(BD)crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the ^(BE)presence of our Lord Jesus Christ ^(BF)at His coming? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.