Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Read full chapter

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.(A)

Read full chapter

12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow (A)cold. 13 (B)But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

Read full chapter

12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(A)

Read full chapter

“Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:

“I remember you,
The kindness of your (A)youth,
The love of your betrothal,
(B)When you [a]went after Me in the wilderness,
In a land not sown.
(C)Israel was holiness to the Lord,
(D)The firstfruits of His increase.
(E)All that devour him will offend;
Disaster will (F)come upon them,” says the Lord.’ ”

Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord:

(G)“What injustice have your fathers found in Me,
That they have gone far from Me,
(H)Have followed [b]idols,
And have become idolaters?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 2:2 followed
  2. Jeremiah 2:5 vanities or futilities

“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what the Lord says:

“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,(A)
    how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,(B)
    through a land not sown.
Israel was holy(C) to the Lord,(D)
    the firstfruits(E) of his harvest;
all who devoured(F) her were held guilty,(G)
    and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the Lord.

Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
    all you clans of Israel.

This is what the Lord says:

“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
    that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols(H)
    and became worthless(I) themselves.

Read full chapter

10 For (A)God is not unjust to forget (B)your work and [a]labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have (C)ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence (D)to the full assurance of hope until the end,

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 6:10 NU omits labor of

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.(A) 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope(B) for may be fully realized.

Read full chapter

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

Read full chapter

And this is my prayer: that your love(A) may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,(B)

Read full chapter

God’s Final Judgment and Glory

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,

Read full chapter

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We ought always to thank God for you,(A) brothers and sisters,[a] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.(B)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 2:1, 13, 15; 3:1, 6, 13.

A Brotherly and Orderly Life

But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for (A)you yourselves are taught by God (B)to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, (C)that you increase more and more;

Read full chapter

Now about your love for one another(A) we do not need to write to you,(B) for you yourselves have been taught by God(C) to love each other.(D) 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.(E) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,(F)

Read full chapter

The Lukewarm Church

14 “And to the [a]angel of the church [b]of the Laodiceans write,

(A)‘These things says the Amen, (B)the Faithful and True Witness, (C)the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 (D)“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither [c]cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, (E)‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 3:14 Or messenger
  2. Revelation 3:14 NU, M in Laodicea
  3. Revelation 3:16 NU, M hot nor cold

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea(A) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,(B) the ruler of God’s creation.(C) 15 I know your deeds,(D) that you are neither cold nor hot.(E) I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’(F) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.(G)

Read full chapter

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have [a]apprehended; but one thing I do, (A)forgetting those things which are behind and (B)reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 (C)I press toward the goal for the prize of (D)the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Therefore let us, as many as are (E)mature, (F)have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, (G)God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already [b]attained, (H)let us walk (I)by the same [c]rule, let us be of the same mind.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Philippians 3:13 laid hold of it
  2. Philippians 3:16 arrived
  3. Philippians 3:16 NU omits rule and the rest of v. 16.

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind(A) and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on(B) toward the goal to win the prize(C) for which God has called(D) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Following Paul’s Example

15 All of us, then, who are mature(E) should take such a view of things.(F) And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.(G) 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Read full chapter

14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of (A)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, (B)to eat things sacrificed to idols, (C)and to commit sexual immorality.

Read full chapter

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:(A) There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam,(B) who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols(C) and committed sexual immorality.(D)

Read full chapter

20 Nevertheless I have [a]a few things against you, because you allow [b]that woman (A)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, [c]to teach and seduce My servants (B)to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:20 NU, M against you that you tolerate
  2. Revelation 2:20 M your wife Jezebel
  3. Revelation 2:20 NU, M and teaches and seduces

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,(A) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.(B)

Read full chapter