But no matter what happens, live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you, I’ll know that you’re standing firm together in the one Spirit and that you’re fighting together as a unit to defend the good news.
My dear brothers and sisters, remain strong in the faith. Don’t let anything move you. Always give yourselves completely to the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord, your work isn’t for nothing.
Up to this point you’ve only understood some of the things we’ve said. But I hope you’ll come to understand us completely. Then you’ll realize that you can be just as proud of us as we will be of you on the day when the Lord Jesus returns.
Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. When he arrived and saw what God’s grace had done, he was very happy. He told them all to remain true to the Lord with their whole hearts. Even more people came to know the Lord.
But you, dear friends, have already been warned about this. So be on your guard. Otherwise, people who don’t obey the law might lead you astray, and you’ll lose your secure position.
Epaphras, who’s from your community and who’s a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He’s always praying hard for you, that you’ll stand firm in the will of God and that you’ll be confident and mature.
There they strengthened the disciples, encouraging them to remain faithful to what they’d been taught. “We have to go through many hard times to enter the kingdom of God,” they explained.
May he strengthen your hearts so that you’ll be holy and blameless in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.