Laws of Holiness and Justice

19 The Lord told Moses ^2 (A)to say to the community of Israel, “Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

^15 (A)“Be honest and just when you make decisions in legal cases; do not show favoritism to the poor or fear the rich. ¹⁶ Do not spread lies about anyone, and when someone is on trial for his life, speak out if your testimony can help him. I am the Lord.

^17 (B)“Do not bear a grudge against others, but settle your differences with them, so that you will not commit a sin because of them.^{[a] 18 (C)}Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord.

BOOK ONE^(A)

True Happiness

Paul's Work in Thessalonica

2 Our friends, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not a failure. ^2 (A)You know how we had already been mistreated and insulted in Philippi before we came to you in Thessalonica. And even though there was much opposition, our God gave us courage to tell you the Good News that comes from him. ³ Our appeal to you is not based on error or impure motives, nor do we try to trick anyone. ⁴ Instead, we always speak as God wants us to, because he has judged us worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do not try to please people, but to please God, who tests our motives. ⁵ You know very well that we did not come to you with flattering talk, nor did we use words to cover up greed—God is our witness! ⁶ We did not try to get praise from anyone, either from you or from others, ⁷ even though as apostles of Christ we could have made demands on you. But we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother^[a] taking care of her children. ⁸ Because of our love for you we were ready to share with you not only the Good News from God but even our own lives. You were so dear to us! ⁹ Surely you remember, our friends, how we worked and toiled! We worked day and night so that we would not be any trouble to you as we preached to you the Good News from God.

¹⁰ You are our witnesses, and so is God, that our conduct toward you who believe was pure, right, and without fault. ¹¹ You know that we treated each one of you just as parents treat their own children. ¹² We encouraged you, we comforted you, and we kept urging you to live the kind of life that pleases God, who calls you to share in his own Kingdom and glory.

¹³ And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe.

The Great Commandment^(A)

³⁴ When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together, ³⁵ and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question. ³⁶ “Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

^37 (B)Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and the most important commandment. ^39 (C)The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ^40 (D)The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

The Question about the Messiah^(E)

⁴¹ When some Pharisees gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose descendant is he?”

“He is David's descendant,” they answered.

⁴³ “Why, then,” Jesus asked, “did the Spirit inspire David to call him ‘Lord’? David said,

⁴⁵ If, then, David called him ‘Lord,’ how can the Messiah be David's descendant?”

⁴⁶ No one was able to give Jesus any answer, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.