Onlyconductyourselves in a manner worthyof the gospelof Christ,sothat whetherI comeand seeyou orremain absent,I will hearof you that you are standing firmin onespirit,with onemindstriving togetherfor the faithof the gospel;
ThereforeI, the prisonerof the Lord,imploreyou to walkin a manner worthyof the callingwith whichyou have been called,
NowI exhortyou, brethren,by the nameof our LordJesusChrist,that you allagreeand that there be nodivisionsamongyou, but that you be made completein the samemindand in the samejudgment.
Therefore,beloved,since you lookfor these things,be diligentto be foundby Him in peace,spotlessand blameless,
so that you will walkin a manner worthyof the Lord,to please[Him] in allrespects,bearing fruitin everygoodworkand increasingin the knowledgeof God;
Beloved,while I was makingeveryeffortto writeyou aboutour commonsalvation,I feltthe necessityto writeto you appealingthat you contend earnestlyfor the faithwhich was once for allhanded downto the saints.
Finallythen,brethren,we requestand exhortyou in the LordJesus,that as you receivedfrom us [instruction] as to howyou oughtto walkand pleaseGod(justas you actuallydo walk),that you excelstill more.
So then,my beloved,justas you have alwaysobeyed,not as in my presenceonly,but nowmuchmorein my absence,workout your salvationwith fearand trembling;
For manywalk,of whomI oftentoldyou, and nowtellyou evenweeping,[that they are] enemiesof the crossof Christ,
Finally,brethren,rejoice,be made complete,be comforted,be like-minded,live in peace;and the Godof loveand peacewill be with you.
And the congregationof thosewho believedwere of oneheartand soul;and not one[of them] claimedthat anythingbelongingto him was his own,but all thingswere common propertyto them.
Behold,howgoodand howpleasantit is For brothersto dwelltogetherin unity!
and I will givethem oneheartand oneway,that they may fearMe always,for their own goodand for [the good of] their childrenafterthem.
Since allthese thingsare to be destroyedin this way,what sortof people oughtyou to be in holyconductand godliness,
Therefore,my belovedbrethren,be steadfast,immovable,alwaysaboundingin the workof the Lord,knowingthat your toilis not [in] vainin the Lord.
For I am not ashamedof the gospel,for it is the powerof Godfor salvationto everyonewho believes,to the Jewfirstand alsoto the Greek.
And the seed whose fruitis righteousnessis sownin peaceby thosewho makepeace.
because I hearof your loveand of the faithwhichyou havetowardthe LordJesusand towardallthe saints;
not pilfering,but showingallgoodfaithsothat they will adornthe doctrineof Godour Saviorin every respect.
I have foughtthe goodfight,I have finishedthe course,I have keptthe faith;
keepingfaithand a goodconscience,whichsomehave rejectedand suffered shipwreckin regardto their faith.
accordingto the gloriousgospelof the blessedGod,with whichI have been entrusted.
Day by daycontinuingwith one mindin the temple,and breakingbreadfrom house to house,they were takingtheir mealstogetherwith gladnessand sincerityof heart,
And knowingtheir thoughtsJesus saidto them, "Anykingdomdividedagainstitselfis laid waste;and anycityorhousedividedagainstitselfwill not stand.
For the LORDwill pleadtheir caseAnd takethe lifeof those who robthem.
But nowthat Timothyhas cometo us from you, and has brought us good newsof your faithand love,and that you alwaysthinkkindlyof us, longingto seeus justas we alsolong to see you,
since we heardof your faithin ChristJesusand the lovewhichyou havefor allthe saints;
and I trustin the Lordthat I myselfalsowill be comingshortly.
For thisreasonI too,having heardof the faithin the LordJesuswhich [exists] amongyou and your lovefor allthe saints,
In Him, you also,after listeningto the messageof truth,the gospelof your salvation--having alsobelieved,you were sealedin Him with the HolySpiritof promise,
whichis [really] not another;onlythere are somewho are disturbingyou and wantto distortthe gospelof Christ.
Becauseof the proofgiven by thisministry,they will glorifyGodfor [your] obedienceto your confessionof the gospelof Christand for the liberalityof your contributionto them and to all,
in whosecasethe godof thisworldhas blindedthe mindsof the unbelievingsothat they might not seethe lightof the gospelof the gloryof Christ,whois the imageof God.
I knowthat when I cometo you, I will comein the fullnessof the blessingof Christ.
to be a ministerof ChristJesusto the Gentiles,ministering as a priestthe gospelof God,sothat [my] offeringof the Gentilesmay becomeacceptable,sanctifiedby the HolySpirit.
But whatdoes it say?"THE WORDIS NEARYOU, IN YOUR MOUTHAND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the wordof faithwhichwe are preaching,
For God,whomI servein my spiritin the [preaching of the] gospelof His Son,is my witness[as to] howunceasinglyI makementionof you,
throughwhomwe have receivedgraceand apostleshipto bring about[the] obedienceof faithamongallthe Gentilesfor His name'ssake,
But somedayslaterFelixarrivedwith Drusilla,his wifewho was a Jewess,and sentfor Pauland heardhim [speak] aboutfaithin ChristJesus.
Jerusalem,that is builtAs a citythat is compacttogether;
in viewof your participationin the gospelfrom the firstdayuntilnow.
For our citizenshipis in heaven,from whichalsowe eagerly waitfor a Savior,the LordJesusChrist;
Therefore,my belovedbrethrenwhom I long[to see], my joyand crown,in this waystand firmin the Lord,my beloved.
He said,"Ifthe Arameansare toostrongfor me, then you shall helpme; but ifthe sonsof Ammonare toostrongfor you, then I will helpyou.
