Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Brothers, We Ask You To Abound Even More In Holiness, For This Is God’s Will

4 Finally then, brothers, we ask you, and exhort in the Lord Jesus that just as you received from us how you ought-to be walking and pleasing God (just as you also are walking), that you be abounding more. ² For you know what commands we gave to you through the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God: your holiness^[a]— that you be abstaining^[b] from sexual-immorality; ⁴ that each of you know-how to acquire^[c] control of his own vessel^[d] in holiness and honor, ⁵ not in the passion of ^[e] desire^[f] as indeed the Gentiles not knowing God; ⁶ that^[g] no one overstep^[h] and exploit^[i] his brother^[j] in the matter^[k]. Because the Lord is the avenger concerning all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly-warned. ⁷ For God did not call us for^[l] impurity, but in^[m] holiness. ⁸ So-therefore^[n] the one rejecting is not rejecting a human, but God, the One also giving His Holy Spirit to you.

But You Know From God To Love One Another. We Exhort You To Abound Even More

⁹ But concerning brotherly-love, you have no need that anyone should be writing to you. For you yourselves are God-taught so-that you might be loving one another. ¹⁰ For indeed you are doing it toward all the brothers in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, to be abounding more, ¹¹ and to be ambitious^[o] to be quiet^[p], and to be doing^[q] your own things and working with your own hands just as we commanded you, ¹² in order that you may walk properly toward the ones outside and may have need of nothing^[r].