2 For I want you to know ^(A)how great a ^(B)struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, ² that ^(C)their hearts may be encouraged, being ^(D)knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of ^(E)God's mystery, which is Christ, ^3 (F)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I say this in order ^(G)that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. ⁵ For ^(H)though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your ^(I)good order and ^(J)the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Alive in Christ

^6 (K)Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ^7 (L)rooted and ^(M)built up in him and ^(N)established in the faith, just ^(O)as you were taught, abounding ^(P)in thanksgiving.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive by ^(Q)philosophy and ^(R)empty deceit, according to ^(S)human tradition, according to the ^(T)elemental spirits^[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For ^(U)in him the whole fullness of deity dwells ^(V)bodily, ¹⁰ and ^(W)you have been filled in him, who is ^(X)the head of all rule and authority. ¹¹ In him also ^(Y)you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by ^(Z)putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ^12 (AA)having been buried with him in baptism, in which ^(AB)you were also raised with him through faith in ^(AC)the powerful working of God, ^(AD)who raised him from the dead. ^13 (AE)And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God ^(AF)made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by ^(AG)canceling ^(AH)the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ^15 (AI)He disarmed the rulers and authorities^[b] and ^(AJ)put them to open shame, by ^(AK)triumphing over them in him.^[c]

Let No One Disqualify You

¹⁶ Therefore let no one ^(AL)pass judgment on you ^(AM)in questions of food and drink, or with regard to ^(AN)a festival or ^(AO)a new moon or a Sabbath. ^17 (AP)These are a shadow of the things to come, but ^(AQ)the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Let no one ^(AR)disqualify you, ^(AS)insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, ^(AT)going on in detail about visions,^{[d] (AU)}puffed up without reason by ^(AV)his sensuous mind, ¹⁹ and ^(AW)not ^(AX)holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

²⁰ If with Christ ^(AY)you died to the ^(AZ)elemental spirits of the world, ^(BA)why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ^21 (BB)“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ²² (^(BC)referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to ^(BD)human precepts and teachings? ²³ These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in ^(BE)promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are ^(BF)of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Put On the New Self

3 ^(BG)If then you have been raised with Christ, seek ^(BH)the things that are above, where Christ is, ^(BI)seated at the right hand of God. ^2 (BJ)Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For ^(BK)you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ ^(BL)who is your^[e] life ^(BM)appears, then you also will appear with him ^(BN)in glory.

^5 (BO)Put to death therefore ^(BP)what is earthly in you:^{[f] (BQ)}sexual immorality, impurity, ^(BR)passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^(BS)which is idolatry. ^6 (BT)On account of these the wrath of God is coming.^{[g] 7 (BU)}In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now ^(BV)you must put them all away: ^(BW)anger, wrath, malice, ^(BX)slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ^9 (BY)Do not lie to one another, seeing that ^(BZ)you have put off ^(CA)the old self^[h] with its practices ¹⁰ and ^(CB)have put on ^(CC)the new self, ^(CD)which is being renewed in knowledge ^(CE)after the image of ^(CF)its creator. ^11 (CG)Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,^[i] free; but Christ is ^(CH)all, and in all.

^12 (CI)Put on then, as ^(CJ)God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, ^(CK)compassionate hearts, ^(CL)kindness, ^(CM)humility, meekness, and patience, ^13 (CN)bearing with one another and, ^(CO)if one has a complaint against another, ^(CP)forgiving each other; ^(CQ)as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on ^(CR)love, which ^(CS)binds everything together in ^(CT)perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let ^(CU)the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called ^(CV)in one body. And ^(CW)be thankful. ¹⁶ Let ^(CX)the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, ^(CY)singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ^(CZ)with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And ^(DA)whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^(DB)giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rules for Christian Households

^18 (DC)Wives, submit to your husbands, as ^(DD)is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and ^(DE)do not be harsh with them. ²⁰ Children, obey your parents ^(DF)in everything, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. ²² Bondservants, obey ^(DG)in everything those who are your earthly masters,^[j] not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ^23 (DH)Whatever you do, work heartily, ^(DI)as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord ^(DJ)you will receive the inheritance as your reward. ^(DK)You are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

4 Masters, treat your bondservants^[k] justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Further Instructions

^2 (DL)Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it ^(DM)with thanksgiving. ³ At the same time, pray also for us, that God may ^(DN)open to us a door for the word, ^(DO)to declare the mystery of Christ, ^(DP)on account of which I am in prison— ⁴ that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

^5 (DQ)Walk in wisdom toward ^(DR)outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶ Let your speech always ^(DS)be gracious, ^(DT)seasoned with salt, ^(DU)so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Final Greetings

⁷ Tychicus will tell you ^(DV)all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant^[l] in the Lord. ⁸ I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, ⁹ and with him ^(DW)Onesimus, our faithful and ^(DX)beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

^10 (DY)Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark ^(DZ)the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—^(EA)if he comes to you, welcome him), ¹¹ and Jesus who is called ^(EB)Justus. ^(EC)These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and ^(ED)they have been a comfort to me. ^12 (EE)Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always ^(EF)struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand ^(EG)mature and fully assured in all the will of God. ¹³ For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. ^14 (EH)Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does ^(EI)Demas. ¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers^[m] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and ^(EJ)the church in her house. ¹⁶ And when ^(EK)this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷ And say to ^(EL)Archippus, “See that you fulfill ^(EM)the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

¹⁸ I, Paul, ^(EN)write this greeting with my own hand. ^(EO)Remember ^(EP)my chains. ^(EQ)Grace be with you.

Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)Silvanus, and Timothy,

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

^(C)Grace to you and peace.

The Thessalonians' Faith and Example

^2 (D)We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly^{[a] (E)}mentioning you in our prayers, ³ remembering before ^(F)our God and Father ^(G)your work of faith and labor of ^(H)love and ^(I)steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we know, ^(J)brothers^[b] loved by God, ^(K)that he has chosen you, ⁵ because ^(L)our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and ^(M)in the Holy Spirit and with full ^(N)conviction. You know ^(O)what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶ And ^(P)you became imitators of us ^(Q)and of the Lord, for ^(R)you received the word in much affliction, ^(S)with the ^(T)joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸ For not only has the word of the Lord ^(U)sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth ^(V)everywhere, so that we need not say anything. ⁹ For they themselves report concerning us the kind of ^(W)reception we had among you, and how ^(X)you turned to God ^(Y)from idols to serve the living and ^(Z)true God, ¹⁰ and ^(AA)to wait for his Son ^(AB)from heaven, ^(AC)whom he raised from the dead, Jesus ^(AD)who delivers us from ^(AE)the wrath to come.

Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians

2 For you yourselves know, brothers,^[c] that our ^(AF)coming to you ^(AG)was not in vain. ² But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated ^(AH)at Philippi, as you know, ^(AI)we had boldness in our God ^(AJ)to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much ^(AK)conflict. ³ For ^(AL)our appeal does not spring from ^(AM)error or ^(AN)impurity or ^(AO)any attempt to deceive, ⁴ but just as we have been approved by God ^(AP)to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not ^(AQ)to please man, but to please God ^(AR)who tests our hearts. ^5 (AS)For we never came with words of flattery,^[d] as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—^(AT)God is witness. ^6 (AU)Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, ^(AV)though we could have made ^(AW)demands as ^(AX)apostles of Christ. ⁷ But we were ^(AY)gentle^[e] among you, ^(AZ)like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. ⁸ So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God ^(BA)but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

⁹ For you remember, brothers, ^(BB)our labor and toil: we ^(BC)worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and ^(BD)God also, ^(BE)how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. ¹¹ For you know how, ^(BF)like a father with his children, ¹² we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and ^(BG)charged ^(BH)you to walk in a manner worthy of God, ^(BI)who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.