Book of Common Prayer

3 We felt we could not wait any longer. So we thought it best to stay at the city of Athens alone.

² And we sent our brother Timothy to you. He works for God by telling the good news about Christ. We sent him to help you be strong and to encourage you in what you believe.

³ We do not want anyone to give up because of the trouble. You yourselves know that we all will surely have trouble.

⁴ When we were with you, we told you that we would have trouble. Trouble came. And now you know what we said is true.

⁵ That is why I could not wait any longer. I sent Timothy to find out if you were still believing. I was afraid that Satan had tried you too much. Then our work would have been for nothing.

⁶ But now Timothy has come back to us from you. He has brought us the good news that you are still believing and have love in your hearts. He has told us that you always remember us. He also told us that you want to see us, just as we want to see you.

⁷ My brothers, the way you believe has comforted us in all our troubles.

⁸ It gives us new life now to know that you are standing strong in the Lord.

⁹ We cannot thank God enough for you. We are very happy about you as we talk to God.

¹⁰ Night and day we ask God that we may see you face to face. We want to help you know more about what you believe.

¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, open the way for us to come to you.

¹² May the Lord make you stronger in your love for each other. Love others in the way we love you.

¹³ We want the Lord to help you to stand strong. And then, when the Lord Jesus comes with all God's people, you will be holy in the eyes of our God and Father. He will see no fault in you.

²⁷ `You have heard that the law says, "Do not commit adultery [have another man or woman who is not your husband or wife]."

²⁸ But I tell you that if a man looks at a woman and he wants her, then he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹ `If your right eye makes you do wrong, take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose a part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

³⁰ If your right hand makes you do wrong, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose a part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell fire.

³¹ `The law said, "Any man who does not want to keep his wife must give her a paper to tell others she is no longer his wife."

³² But I tell you, no man may send away his wife unless she has committed adultery. If he does send her away, he is making her commit adultery. And if a man marries a woman who has been sent away from her husband, he commits adultery.'

³³ `Also you have heard this said to men long ago, "You must not make a promise in God's name and break it." And, "You must do for the Lord what you said you would do."

³⁴ `But I tell you, do not make a promise in God's name. Do not use the name of heaven, because that is where God rules.

³⁵ Do not use the name of earth, because that is where God rests his feet. Do not use the name of Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.

³⁶ Do not make a promise by your head, because you cannot make one hair of your head white or black.

³⁷ You must mean "Yes" when you say "Yes". You must mean "No" when you say "No". To say anything more than that is wrong.'