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labour, striving according to his working which worketh in me with power.

For I wish that ye knew how great a struggle I have about you and those in Laodicea, and such as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of the understanding, unto a knowledge 3 of the mystery of God; in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say lest any one should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the sted6 fastness of your faith in Christ. As therefore ye have 7 received Christ Jesus as the Lord, walk in him, being rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanks8 giving. Beware lest any man kidnap you through philosophy and empty deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily; 10 and ye are complete in him, who is the head of all princi11 pality and power; in whom also ye were circumcised with

a circumcision not made with hands, in putting off the body 12 of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, being buried with him in the baptism; in whom also ye have been raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him 13 from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins, and in

the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He made alive with 14 him, having forgiven us all our trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances that was against us, that was contrary to us. And he took it out of the way, 15 nailing it to the cross; having stripped off from himself the principalities and powers he made a show of them openly, leading them in triumph on it.

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Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a festival, or a new moon, or sabbaths; 17 which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body 18 is Christ's. Let no one triumph over you by voluntary

humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into things that he hath not seen, being vainly puffed up by the 19 mind of his flesh, and not holding to the Head, from

whom all the body, by joints and bands nourished and 20 knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. If

ye are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye impose on yourselves ordinances, "Touch not,' 'taste not,' 21 'handle not,' all which are to perish by using; after 22 the commands and doctrines of men? Which things, 23 having a show of wisdom in will-worship and humility and neglecting of the body, not in any honour, are for satisfying the flesh.

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If then ye have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God; think of the things above, not the things on earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ 3 in God. When Christ, our life, hath appeared, then will ye also appear with him in glory.

But

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Slay therefore your members as to things on earth, 5 fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and lasciviousness, which is idolatry; for which God's wrath is coming on the children of disobedience; among whom ye also once walked, when ye lived among them. now do ye also put away all these, anger, wrath, malice, evil speaking, filthy words, out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, since ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, who is renewed 10 unto knowledge after the image of his creator; where 11 there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision, nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, slave nor free; but Christ is all, and in all. Be clothed therefore, as chosen 12 of God, holy and beloved, with bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, patience; (bearing one with 13 another, and forgiving one another, if any one have a quarrel against another; and as Christ forgave you, so also do ye;) and above all these with love, which is the 14 bond of perfectness. And let the peace of Christ rule in 15 your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in 16 you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with grace singing in your hearts to God. And whatever ye 1: do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God even the Father through him.

Wives, obey your husbands as is fit in the Lord. 18 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against 19 +hem. Children, obey your parents in all things; for 20

327 21 this is well pleasing in the Lord. Fathers, provoke not 22 your children lest they be discouraged. Slaves, obey in

all things your masters in the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the 23 Lord; and whatever ye do, do it from your soul, as to 24 the Lord, and not as to men; knowing that from the Lord ye will receive the reward of the inheritance; for 25 ye serve the Lord Christ. And he that wrongeth will receive back for what he wronged; and there is no 1 respect of persons. Masters, give to your slaves what is just and fit, knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

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Give yourselves continually to prayer, watching at it 3 with thanksgiving; praying at the same time also for us, that God would open unto us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which also I am in bonds; so that I may show it, as I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward those without, redeeming the 6 time. Let your words be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

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All my affairs will Tychicus make known to you, the beloved brother, and faithful minister and fellow-servant 8 in the Lord; whom I have sent to you for this purpose, that he might know your affairs and comfort your 9 hearts; with Onesimus the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you: they will make known unto you all 10 things done here. Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner greeteth you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, about whom ye have received commands; (if he come to you, 11 receive him;) and Jesus, who is called Justus; who being of the circumcision, are the only fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God who have been a comfort to 12 me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, greeteth you, always striving for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness, that he hath great labour for

you, and for those in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, 16 and the church in his house. And when this epistle

hath been read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye also read that 17 from Laodicea. And say to Archippus; 'Look to the

'ministry that thou hast undertaken in the Lord, that 'thou fulfil it.'

The greeting of Paul by mine own hand. Remember 18 my bonds. Grace be with you.

The First Epistle of PAUL to the THESSALONIANS. PAUL and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the

Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; grace

be to you and peace from God our Father

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and the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank God always for you all, making mention of you 2 in our prayers without ceasing, remembering your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of our God and Father; knowing, brethren beloved by God, your election. For 4 5 our Good Tidings came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in holy spirit, and in much assurance; as ye know what we became among you for your sake. And ye became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much trouble with joy of holy spirit; so that ye became patterns to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you hath been sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and in Achaia; but also in every place your faith towards God is gone forth; so that we have no need to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what an entrance we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from the idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his 10 Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who is delivering us from the coming wrath.

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For, brethren, yourselves know our entrance unto you, 1 that it was not in vain ; but when we had suffered before and been reviled, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Good Tidings of God with much striving. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile; but as we have been approved by God to be intrusted with the Good Tidings, even so we speak; not as seeking to please men, but God, who trieth our hearts. For we never used words of flattery, as ye know; nor a cloak of lasciviousness, God is witness; nor sought we glory of men, neither from you, nor from others; (when we might have

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329 7 been a burden, as apostles of Christ ;) but we were gentle 8 among you. As a nurse would cherish her children, so we, longing after you, were willing to give you, not only the Good Tidings of God, but also our own lives, because 9 ye were dear to us. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil; working night and day, so as not to be a burden to any of you, we preached unto you the Good 10 Tidings of God. Ye are witnesses and God, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved to you that 11 believed; as ye know how we exhorted and comforted

each one of you, as a father doth his children, and 12 charged you to walk worthily of God, who calleth you 13 into his kingdom and glory. For this also we thank

God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God by hearsay from us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as in truth it is, as the word of God, 14 who also worketh in you that believe. For ye became imitators, brethren, of the churches of God that are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for ye also suffered the same things from your own countrymen even as they did from 15 the Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us, and seek not to please God, 16 and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved; so as to fill up their sins always. But the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

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But we, brethren, when taken away from you for an hour's space, in person not in heart, very earnestly en18 deavoured to see your face with great desire. Where

fore we wished to come unto you, (that is, I Paul did,) both once and also a second time, but Satan hindered 19 us. For what will be our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting, (will it not be ye?) before our Lord Jesus 20 Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and 1 joy. Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we 2 thought it good to be left at Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother, and fellow-labourer under God in the Good Tidings of Christ, to establish you, and to 3 encourage you about your faith, that no one should be shaken by these troubles; for yourselves know that unto 4 this we were appointed; for when we were with you, we foretold to you that we were to be troubled, even as it came to pass and ye know. For this cause myself