21 well-pleasing in the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children, lest they be discouraged.

22

Bond-servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in 23 singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever ye do, 24 do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that from the Lord ye will receive the recompense of 25 the inheritance; serve Christ as your Lord. For he that doeth wrong, shall receive back the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons.

IV. Masters, deal out to your bond-servants justice and equity, knowing that ye also have a master in heaven.

2

Persevere in prayer, being watchful therein with thanks3 giving; praying at the same time for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery 4 of Christ, for the sake of which I am also in bonds; that 5 I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in

wisdom toward them that are without, buying up opportu6 nities. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every one.

7

Of all my affairs Tychicus will inform you, the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow-servant in the 8 Lord; whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that he may know your condition, and comfort your 9 hearts; together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will inform you of every thing here.

10 Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, saluteth you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom ye received di11 rections (if he come to you, receive him), and Jesus, who is called Justus; who are of the circumcision; these only

Chap. III. 25.

of it.

Chap. IV. 11.

- receive back the wrong; i.e. the fruit or consequence

these only; i.e. of the circumcision.

12

are my fellow-workers for the kingdom of God, who have been an encouragement unto me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will 13 of God. For I bear him witness, that he hath much labor for you, and those that are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.

14

15

Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, salute you.

Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nym16 phas, and the church in his house. And when the letter hath been read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye likewise 17 read the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.

18

The salutation by the hand of me, Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you.

THE FIRST TO THE THESSALONIANS.

I. 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.

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making 3 mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and perseverance in the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before God 4 our Father; since we know, brethren beloved of God, 5 that he hath chosen you; because the gospel preached by us came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; as ye well know what sort of persons we became among you 6 for your sake. And ye became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction 7 with joy from the Holy Spirit; so that ye became an example to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For from you the word of the Lord hath sounded forth not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith toward God hath become known; so that we 9 need not say anything [about you]. For they themselves are reporting concerning us what kind of reception we had among you, and how ye turned to God from 10 idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for

his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the coming wrath.

II. For ye yourselves know, brethren, that our coming 2 among you hath not been in vain; but after we had suffered before and had been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak to 3 you the gospel of God in much conflict. For our teaching is not from error, nor from impurity, nor in guile; 4 but as we have been regarded by God as worthy to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing 5 men, but God, who trieth our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak 6 of covetousness, God is witness; nor from men sought we glory, either from you, or from others; though we 7 might have used authority as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle in the midst of you, even as a nurse cher8 isheth her own children; so having a strong affection for you, we were willing to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, but also our own souls, because ye became dear 9 to us. For ye remember, brethren, our labor and toil, how laboring night and day, that we might not be burdensome to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. 10 Ye are witnesses, and so is God, how holily, and righteously, and unblamably we conducted ourselves toward 11 you that believe; as ye know how we exhorted, and encouraged, and charged every one of you, as a father 12 doth his children, that ye should walk in a manner worthy of God, who is calling you to his own kingdom and glory.

13

And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received the word of God which ye heard from us, ye received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also is powerfully work14 ing in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became imita

tors of the churches of God which are in Judæa in Christ Jesus; for ye also suffered the same things from your 15 own countrymen, as they have from the Jews; who

both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and drove us out, and please not God, and set themselves against 16 all men, hindering us from speaking to the gentiles that they may be saved, to fill up their sins always! But the wrath is come upon them to the end.

17

-

But we, brethren, having been bereaved of you for a short time, separated in body, not in heart, used the greater endeavors with much earnestness to see your 18 face. Wherefore we purposed to come to you, that is, 19 I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? Is it not even ye, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his 20 coming? For ye are our glory and joy.

III. Wherefore, when we could no longer forbear, we chose 2 to be left at Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and a fellow-laborer with God in the gospel of Christ, to 3 establish you, and to encourage you in your faith, so that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for yourselves 4 know that to this we are appointed; for even when we were with you, we told you before that we are to suffer 5 affliction, just as it came to pass, and ye know. For this cause, when I too could no longer forbear, I sent in order to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor should prove in vain.

6 But when Timothy just now came to us from you, and brought us good tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly 7 to see us, as we also to see you; for this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our distress and afflic

Chap. II. 16. the wrath, &c. It is not necessary to understand this as meaning that the entire punishment or destruction of the Jewish nation ad taken place, but only that the predicted wrath of God against that na ion had begun, and that it would manifestly soon end in its destruction.