In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and because he and his kingdom are coming, I’m giving you these instructions:
Now there’s a crown waiting for me, the crown that’s given to those who are right with God. The Lord, who judges fairly, will give it to me on the day he returns, and not only to me, but also to all those who are longing for him to return.
I command you in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels to follow these instructions. Treat everyone the same and don’t favor one person over another.
Keep reminding God’s people about these things. Warn them in the presence of God not to argue about words. Those arguments don’t have any value. All they do is destroy everyone who listens to them.
These have come to show that your faith is genuine. This will bring praise, honor, and glory to God when Jesus Christ returns. Your faith is worth even more than gold, because gold can be destroyed even after fire has made it pure.
Then the man of sin will be revealed. But the Lord Jesus will overthrow him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him with the glorious brightness of his coming.
He has set a day when he will judge the entire world fairly, and he has appointed a man to be its judge. God has proved this to everyone by raising that man from the dead.”
“But he was made king anyway, and he then returned home. He sent for the slaves he’d given the money to, because he wanted to find out what they’d earned with it.
“Look! He’s coming with the clouds!” “Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him.” All the nations of the earth “will mourn because of him.” This will happen! Amen.
God the Father gave him honor and glory when the voice of the Majestic Glory came to him and said, “This is my beloved Son. I’m very pleased with him.”
It has now been made known through the coming of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and brought never-ending life out into the light through the good news.