Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.(A) And the God of peace(B) will be with you.

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22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(A)

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Living to Please God

As for other matters, brothers and sisters,(A) we instructed you how to live(B) in order to please God,(C) as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

It is God’s will(D) that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;(E) that each of you should learn to control your own body[a](F) in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust(G) like the pagans,(H) who do not know God;(I) and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b](J) The Lord will punish(K) all those who commit such sins,(L) as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.(M) Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or learn to live with your own wife; or learn to acquire a wife
  2. 1 Thessalonians 4:6 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family.

17 Join together in following my example,(A) brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.(B)

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10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling(A) and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.

17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.(A)

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And the peace of God,(A) which transcends all understanding,(B) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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20 The God of peace(A) will soon crush(B) Satan(C) under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.(D)

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20 and teaching(A) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you(B) always, to the very end of the age.”(C)

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Final Greetings

11 Finally, brothers and sisters,(A) rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.(B) And the God of love(C) and peace(D) will be with you.

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The Wise and Foolish Builders(A)

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(B) and do not do what I say?(C)

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True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(A) will enter the kingdom of heaven,(B) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.(C)

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We have confidence(A) in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command.

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14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators(A) of God’s churches in Judea,(B) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people(C) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews

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You became imitators of us(A) and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering(B) with the joy(C) given by the Holy Spirit.(D)

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The Wise and Foolish Builders(A)

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice(B) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

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23 May God himself, the God of peace,(A) sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul(B) and body be kept blameless(C) at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.(D)

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We had previously suffered(A) and been treated outrageously in Philippi,(B) as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.(C) For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,(D) nor are we trying to trick you.(E) On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.(F) We are not trying to please people(G) but God, who tests our hearts.(H) You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed(I)—God is our witness.(J) We were not looking for praise from people,(K) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles(L) of Christ we could have asserted our authority.(M) Instead, we were like young children[a] among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,(N) so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God(O) but our lives as well.(P) Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked(Q) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone(R) while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses,(S) and so is God,(T) of how holy,(U) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,(V) 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy(W) of God, who calls(X) you into his kingdom and glory.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Some manuscripts were gentle

19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.(A) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,(B) as though God were making his appeal through us.(C) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.(D)

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His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”(A)

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21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”(A)

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Benediction and Final Greetings

20 Now may the God of peace,(A) who through the blood of the eternal covenant(B) brought back from the dead(C) our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,(D) 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will,(E) and may he work in us(F) what is pleasing to him,(G) through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(H)

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Warning Against Idleness

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,(A) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from(B) every believer who is idle and disruptive(C) and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us.(D) For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.(E) We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked(F) night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,(G) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(H) 10 For even when we were with you,(I) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work(J) shall not eat.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or tradition

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.(A) 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble,(B) whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God(C) 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way.(D) For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many,(E) so that they may be saved.(F) 11 Follow my example,(G) as I follow the example of Christ.(H)

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