Book of Common Prayer

Esteem Your Leaders in Love

¹² And we ask you, brothers, to know^[a] the ones laboring among you and leading you in the Lord and admonishing you, ¹³ and to be esteeming them super-abundantly^[b] in love because of their work. Be living-in-peace among yourselves.

Closing Exhortations

¹⁴ Now we exhort you, brothers— be admonishing the disorderly ones, be encouraging^[c] the fainthearted ones, be holding-on-to^[d] the weak ones, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ See that no one gives-back evil for evil to anyone, but always be pursuing the good, both for one another and for everyone. ¹⁶ Be rejoicing always, ¹⁷ be praying unceasingly, ¹⁸ be giving-thanks in everything. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not be quenching^[e] the Spirit, ²⁰ do not be treating prophecies with contempt, ²¹ but be testing all things. Be holding-on-to the good^[f], ²² be abstaining from every form^[g] of evil.

²³ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify^[h] you wholly^[i]. And may your whole^[j] spirit and soul and body be preserved^[k] blamelessly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Faithful is the One calling you, Who also will do it. ²⁵ Brothers, be praying also for us. ²⁶ Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I adjure^[l] you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers. ²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

The Parable of The Fig Tree: When You See This You Know The Kingdom Is Near

²⁹ And He spoke a parable to them: “Look at the fig-tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ When they already put-forth leaves, seeing it, you know from^[a] yourselves that summer is already near. ³¹ So also you— when you see these things taking place, you know^[b] that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly I say to you that this generation^[c] will by no means pass away until all things take place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by-no-means pass away.

Be Prepared And Keep Alert

³⁴ “But take heed to yourselves that your hearts may not at any time be weighed-down with carousing and drunkenness and anxieties^[d] pertaining-to-life, and that unexpected^[e] day suddenly-come-upon^[f] you ³⁵ like a snare. For it will come-in-upon all the ones sitting on the face of all the earth. ³⁶ And be keeping-alert^[g] in every season, praying that you may have strength to escape^[h] all these things being about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man”.

Jesus Spends His Days In The Temple and His Nights On The Mount of Olives

³⁷ Now as to the days, He was teaching in the temple. But as to the nights, going out [of Jerusalem], He was spending-the-night on the mountain being called ‘of Olives’. ³⁸ And all the people were arising-very-early^[i] to come to Him in the temple to hear Him.