² I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets^(A) and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.^(B)

A Call to Persevere

¹⁷ But, dear friends, remember what the apostles^(A) of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.^(B)

¹⁰ At this I fell at his feet to worship him.^(A) But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!^(B) For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”^(C)

²¹ It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.^(A)

⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.^(A) This is how we recognize the Spirit^[a] of truth^(B) and the spirit of falsehood.^(C)

¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience^(A) means salvation,^(B) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.^(C)

¹⁹ We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable,^(A) and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light^(B) shining in a dark place, until the day dawns^(C) and the morning star^(D) rises in your hearts.^{(E) 20} Above all, you must understand^(F) that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God^(G) as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.^(H)

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke^(A) of the grace that was to come to you,^(B) searched intently and with the greatest care,^{(C) 11} trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ^(D) in them was pointing when he predicted^(E) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,^(F) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you^(G) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.^(H) Even angels long to look into these things.