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He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

He was sick indeed, nearly unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

…circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

…and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

…and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

…and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.

On the contrary, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her children.

So when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left on our own in Athens.

For now we can go on living, as long as you are standing firm in the Lord.

Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.

While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.

…in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

…on the day He comes to be glorified in His saints and regarded with wonder by all who have believed, including you who have believed our testimony.

As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines

As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines

…holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and thereby shipwrecked their faith.

…not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.

To this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe.

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders.

Do not entertain an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

May the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy on that day. You know very well how much he ministered to me in Ephesus.

Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”

Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.

I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, set your focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’”

Now we who have believed enter that rest. As for the others, it is just as God has said: “So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’” And yet His works have been finished since the foundation of the world.

For somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this manner: “And on the seventh day God rested from all His works.”

For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness.

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God,

…instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God.

…where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

In the case of the Levites, mortal men collect the tenth; but in the case of Melchizedek, it is affirmed that he lives on.

Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of Melchizedek and not in the order of Aaron?

Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer gifts according to the law.

The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Now, however, Jesus has received a much more excellent ministry, just as the covenant He mediates is better and is founded on better promises.

For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,

For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.

“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.”

And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.

If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,

Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.

See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns us from heaven?

If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”

Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?

The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”

You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners.

Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.

Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you.

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

…if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;

…if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;