Nowthesewere more noble-mindedthan thosein Thessalonica,for they receivedthe wordwith greateagerness,examiningthe Scripturesdaily[to see] whetherthese thingswere so.
Seekfrom the bookof the LORD,and read:Not oneof thesewill be missing;Nonewill lackits mate.For His mouthhas commanded,And His Spirithas gatheredthem.
"You searchthe Scripturesbecauseyou thinkthat in them you haveeternallife;it is thesethat testifyaboutMe;
For thisreasonwe alsoconstantlythankGodthat when you receivedthe wordof Godwhichyou heardfrom us, you accepted[it] not [as] the wordof men,but [for] whatit reallyis, the wordof God,whichalsoperforms its workin you who believe.
"And the one on whom seed was sownon the goodsoil,thisis the man who hearsthe wordand understandsit; whoindeedbears fruitand brings forth,somea hundredfold,somesixty,and somethirty."
Give[instruction] to a wisemanand he will be stillwiser,Teacha righteousmanand he will increase[his] learning.
A wisemanwill hearand increasein learning,And a man of understandingwill acquirewisecounsel,
You alsobecameimitatorsof us and of the Lord,having receivedthe wordin muchtribulationwith the joyof the HolySpirit,
"But he who practicesthe truthcomesto the Light,sothat his deedsmay be manifestedas having beenwroughtin God."
and with allthe deceptionof wickednessfor thosewho perish,becausethey did not receivethe loveof the truthsoas to be saved.
likenewbornbabies,longfor the puremilkof the word,sothat by it you may growin respectto salvation,
NowHe saidto them, "Theseare My wordswhichI spoketo you while I was stillwith you, that all thingswhich are writtenaboutMe in the Lawof Mosesand the Prophetsand the Psalmsmustbe fulfilled."
To the lawand to the testimony!Ifthey do not speakaccording to thisword,it is becausethey havenodawn.
"Takemy instructionand not silver,And knowledgeratherthanchoicestgold.
Therefore,putting asideallfilthinessand [all] that remainsof wickedness,in humilityreceivethe wordimplanted,which is ableto saveyour souls.
My eyesanticipatethe night watches,That I may meditateon Your word.
I understandmorethanthe aged,BecauseI have observedYour precepts.
O howI loveYour law!It is my meditationallthe day.
"SoI sentfor you immediately,and you have been kind enoughto come.Nowthen,we are allhere presentbeforeGodto hearallthat you have been commandedby the Lord."
So then,thosewho had receivedhis wordwere baptized;and that daythere were addedaboutthree thousandsouls.
"I have not departedfrom the commandof His lips;I have treasuredthe wordsof His mouthmorethanmy necessaryfood.
Nowwhen they had traveled throughAmphipolisand Apollonia,they cameto Thessalonica,wherethere was a synagogueof the Jews.
Nowthe apostlesand the brethrenwho were throughoutJudeaheardthat the Gentilesalsohad receivedthe wordof God.
"But Abrahamsaid,'They haveMosesand the Prophets;let them hearthem.'
"Yet I plantedyou a choicevine,A completelyfaithfulseed.Howthen have you turnedyourself before Me Into the degenerateshoots of a foreignvine?
"The secretthingsbelong to the LORDour God,but the thingsrevealedbelong to us and to our sonsforever,that we may observeallthe wordsof thislaw.
justas they were handed downto us by thosewho from the beginningwere eyewitnessesand servantsof the word,
Giveus eachdayour dailybread.
