Book of Common Prayer

4 And now, brothers, here is what we ask you to do. We beg you in the name of the Lord Jesus. We taught you how to live and to please God. You are living that way now, and we want you to do so more and more.

² You know what we told you through the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ This is what God wants. He wants you to live clean lives. He wants you to keep away from wrong sex.

⁴ Each of you should know how to control yourself. Honour your body to make it holy.

⁵ Do not have sex with a person you are not married to. Control your strong feelings. Do not act like the people who do not know God.

⁶ Do not do wrong to your Christian brother by taking his wife for yourself. The Lord will surely punish all those who do wrong in these things. We have already told you that and made it very clear.

⁷ God did not call us to live unclean lives. He wants you to live clean and holy lives.

⁸ So anyone who does not obey is not just disobeying a man, but he is disobeying God. And it is God who has given us his Holy Spirit.

⁹ You do not need anyone to write to you about how to love each other. God himself has taught you to be loving towards each other.

¹⁰ And you do love all the Christian brothers who are in the whole country of Macedonia. But we beg you, brothers, love them more and more.

¹¹ Please try to live a quiet life. Mind your own business. Work with your hands as we told you to do.

¹² Then people who do not belong to the church will respect you. And you will not need help from anyone. here is something I want you to know about those who have died. You should not cry for them like people cry who have no hope.

³⁸ `You have heard that the law says, "Take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."

³⁹ But I tell you, do not fight with anyone who does wrong to you. But if someone hits you on one side of your face, turn the other side to him also.

⁴⁰ `If anyone takes you to court to get your shirt, let him have your coat also.

⁴¹ If anyone wants you to help carry a load, go with him twice as far.

⁴² When someone asks you for something, give it to him. When someone wants to borrow something from you, let him have it.'

⁴³ `You have heard that the law says, "Love your neighbour and hate your enemy."

⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies. Ask God to do good to those who trouble you.

⁴⁵ In that way you will be sons of your Father in heaven. He makes his sun shine on both wrong and good people. He lets the rain fall on people who do right and on people who do wrong.

⁴⁶ If you love only those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that.

⁴⁷ Do you speak to your brothers only? If so, you are not doing any better than other people. Even people who do not believe in God do that.

⁴⁸ You must be good in every way, as your Father in heaven is good in every way.'