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Word Search: paul

Concordances (9)
Nave's Topical Bible
Paul
Scofield Reference Index
Paul
Thompson Chain Reference
Self-Support, Paul's
Paul's
Paul
Bonds, Paul's
Apostleship of Paul
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Sanhedrin: & Judgement, Paul
Paul; Before the Priest: & Roman Gov..., Sanhedrin
Dictionaries (93)
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Paul
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
Paul
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
Paul the Apostle
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Paul
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
Paul
Holman Bible Dictionary
Paul
Hitchcock's Bible Names
Paul
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Paul the Apostle
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
Paul (2)
Paul
Morrish Bible Dictionary
Paul
1910 New Catholic Dictionary
University, de Paul
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres
Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Paris
Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Newar
Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Mount
Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Halif
Sisters of Charity of Saint Paul
Seminary, Saint Paul
Seminary of Saint Vincent de Paul
Samosata, Paul of
Saint Vincent de Paul, Seminary of
Saint Paul-Minneapolis, Archdiocese of
Saint Paul's School
Saint Paul's Outside the Walls
Saint Paul Seminary
Rubens, Peter Paul
Regular Clerks of the Congregation of Saint Paul
Ragueneau, Paul
Philippians, Paul's Epistle to the
Philemon, Paul's Epistle to
Peter and Paul, Feast of Saints
Peppergrass, Paul
Paul, Saint Martyr
Paul, Saint Evangelist
Paul's Epistle to the Philippians
Paul's Epistle to Philemon
Paul V, Pope
Paul the First Hermit, Saint
Paul Ragueneau
Paul Peppergrass
Paul of the Cross, Saint
Paul of Samosata
Paul Littré
Paul IV, Pope
Paul III, Pope
Paul II, Pope
Paul I, Pope Saint
Paul Delaroche
Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve
Paul Cullen
Paul Camboue
Our Souls' Great Teacher Paul, Our Guide in Wisdom
Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle
Migne, Jacques Paul
Maisonneuve, Paul de Chomedey de
Littré, Paul Maximilien Emile
Libermann, Francis Mary Paul
Le Moyne, Paul
Gondi, Jean Francois Paul
Flandrin, Jean Paul
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
Egregie Doctor Paule, Mores Instrue
Delaroche, Paul
De Paul University
Cullen, Paul
Camboue, Paul
Broglie, Auguste Theodore Paul
Allard, Paul
Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary
Paul
People's Dictionary of the Bible
Paul
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Timothy The Epistles of Paul to
Philemon The Epistle of Paul to
Paul
Whyte's Dictionary of Bible Characters
The Thorn in Paul's Flesh
Paul's Visit to Jerusalem to See Peter
Paul's Great Heaviness and Continual Sorrow of Heart
Paul's Blamelessness As a Minister
Paul the Aged
Paul in Arabia
Paul As the Chief of Sinners
Paul As Sold Under Sin
Paul As an Evangelical Mystic
Paul As a Student
Paul As a Preacher
Paul As a Pastor
Paul As a Man of Prayer
Paul As a Controversialist
Paul As a Believing Man
Paul Apprehended of Christ Jesus
Webster's Dictionary
Paul
Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary
Paul
Encyclopedias (292)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Paul, the Apostle
Paul, Voyage and Shipwreck of
Thessalonians, the First Epistle of Paul to the
Thessalonians, the Second Epistle of Paul to the
Voyage and Shipwreck of Paul
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
Paul
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Alberti, Paul Martin
Aler, Paul
Antoine, Paul Gabriel
Anton, Paul
Antonius or Anton, Paul
Ardbne, Jean Paul de Rome D
Astras, Paul Thirese David D
Atwell, Paul P., M.d.
Bachmann, Paul
Baranyi, Paul
Bauldri, Paul
Bayne (or Baynes), Paul
Berger, Paul
Beswetherick Paul Moyle Robins
Beughem Charles Antoine Francois de Paule de
Beurrier, Paul
Blakeney, Richard Paul, D.D., LL.D.
Bonet, Paul
Bonnechose, Francois Paul Emile de
Bost, Paul Ami Isaac David
Boudot, Paul
Bril, Paul
Brown, Paul R.
Bush (or Bushe), Paul
Caron, Augustin Pierre Paul
Carpov, Paul Theodor
Caumartin, Jean Francois Paul Lefevre de
Chadbourne, Paul a., D.D., LL.D.
Charles. de Saint-Paul
Chauamont, Paul Philippe de
Chevalier Paul
Ciceri, Paul Cesar de
Clerks of St. Paul
Colding, Paul Janus
Colliette, Louis Paul
Colomies (Lat. Colomesius), Paul
Comminerell, Johann Paul
Conversion of St. Paul
Craw, Paul
Cuffee, Paul
Cullen, Paul
Daronatsi, Paul
Dean, Paul
Dolz (Lat. Dolscius), Paul
Eber Paul
Eberus, Paul, D.D.
Eckhard, Paul Jacob
Egede, Paul
Eichhorn, Paul
Eitzen, Paul de
Eustachius, Giov. Paul
Faudoas, Pierre Paul, Baron de
Felgenhauer, Paul
Felwinger, Johann Paul
Ferri, Paul
Ferry, Paul
Flemming, Paul
Foix, Paul de
Foucher Paul
Fraser, Paul, D.D.
Gerhardt Paul
Godet Des Marais, Paul de
Hautpoul, Paul Louis Joseph
Hebenstreiti Johann Paul
Henkel, Paul
Henry, Paul Emile
Hilscher, Paul Christian
Hirsch, Paul Wilhelm
Holbach, Paul Henry Thiry
Israeli, Paul
Jablonski, Paul Ernst
Kalthoff, Johann Paul
Laymann, Paul
Layritz, Paul Eugen
Littre, Maximilien Paul Emile
Luynes, Paul Dalbert de
Marron, Paul Henri
Merz, Philipp Paul
Migne, Jacques Paul
Odontius, Paul
Opitz, Paul Friedrich
Ostertag, Paul Albert, Dr.
Paul
Paul (St.) the Hermit.
Paul de La Croix
Paul I
Paul I (2)
Paul II
Paul II of Constantinople
Paul III
Paul IV
Paul of Burgos.
Paul of Constantinople
Paul of Cordova
Paul of Emesa
Paul of Pannonia
Paul of Samosata
Paul of Thebes
Paul the Deacon
Paul the Presbyter.
Paul the Silentiary
Paul the Simple
Paul V
Paul Veronese.
Paul von Bernried.
Paul(Us), von Bernried
Paul, David
Paul, Father
Paul, Festival of the Conversion of
Paul, John de St.
Paul, Vincent de
Paul, William
Pellisson-Fontanier, Paul
Perrot, Paul
Pezron, Paul
Pontius, Paul
Rabaut, Paul
Retz, Jean Francois Paul de Gondi
Ricci (Lat. Ricius), Paul
Richmond, Paul C.
Ricius, Paul.
Riegger, Paul Joseph von
Rubens, Peter Paul, Sir
Rybaut (or Ribaut), Paul
Shephard, Paul
Speratus, Paul
Spifame, Jacques Paul
Staffelsteiner, Paul
Tarnov, Paul
Thecla and Paul
Trapier, Paul, D.D.
Vandervoort, Paul
Vergerius, Peter Paul (the Younger)
Veronese, Paul
Verpoorten, Wilhelm Paul
Vincent (St.) de Paul
Vogel, Paul Joachim Siegmund
Warnefrid, Paul
Weidman, Paul
Weidner, Paul
Weiss, Paul
The Nuttall Encyclopedia
Barras, Paul François
Barthez, Paul Joseph
Baudry, Paul
Bert, Paul
Botta, Paul Émile
Bourget, Paul
Bril Brothers, Matthew and Paul
Broca, Paul
Caspari, Karl Paul
Cassagnac, Paul
Clifford, Paul
Corssen, William Paul
Courier, Paul Louis
Cullen, Paul
Delaroche, Paul
Du Chaillu, Paul Belloni
Egede, Paul
Father Paul
Feuerbach, Paul Johann Anselm von
Fleming, Paul
Gavarni, Paul
Gerhardt, Paul
Grévy, François, Paul Jules
Heyse, Paul Johann
Jean Paul
Jones, Paul
Kock, Charles Paul de
Krüger, S.J. Paul
Marat, Jean Paul
Paul
Paul and Virginia
Paul I.
Paul Samosata
Paul, St.
Pellisson, Paul
Potter, Paul
Rajon, Paul Adolphe
Reuter, Baron Paul Julius
Revere, Paul
Richter, Jean Paul Friedrich
Royer-Collard, Pierre Paul
Rubens, Peter Paul
Saint-Victor, Paul de
Sarpi, Paul
Scarron, Paul
Sebillot, Paul
St. Paul
St. Paul's School
Verlaine, Paul
Vincent de Paul, St.
The Catholic Encyclopedia
Auguste-Théodore-Paul de Broglie
Cardinal Jean-François-Paul-Gondi de Retz
David Paul Drach
De Paul University
Emile-Paul-Constant-Ange Le Camus
François-Joseph-Paul Grasse
Francis, Joseph, and Paul Mezger
Jacques-Paul Migne
Jean Paul Medaille
Jean-Paul-Alban Villeneuve-Barcement
John Paul Nazarius
Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle
Paul Allard
Paul Atkinson of St. Francis
Paul Bachmann
Paul Cullen
Paul de Barry
Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve
Paul de Sorbait
Paul Gabriel Antoine
Paul Godet des Marais
Paul Heliae
Paul Laymann
Paul Majunke
Paul Maroni
Paul Melchers
Paul of Burgos
Paul of Middelburg
Paul of Samosata
Paul Pelisson-Fontanier
Paul Ragueneau
Paul Scarron
Paul the Deacon
Paul-Henri-Corentin Féval
Paul-Maximilien-Emile Littré
Paul-Quentin Desains
Paul-Thérèse-David D'Astros
Peter Paul Maria Alberdingk Thijm
Peter Paul Rubens
Pierre-Paul Royer-Collard
Pope Paul I
Pope Paul II
Pope Paul III
Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul V
Saint Paul (Minnesota)
Sisters of Charity of St. Paul
Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul
Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul (New York)
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
St. Paul
St. Paul of the Cross
St. Paul the Hermit
St. Paul the Simple
St. Paul-without-the-Walls
St. Vincent de Paul
Sts. John and Paul
Ven. Francis Mary Paul Libermann
The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia
Abrest, Paul D'
Avenel, Paul
Bornstein, Paul
Caspari, Charles Paul
Cohnheim, Paul
Coronel, Paul Nuñez
Drach, David Paul
Ehrlich, Paul
Errera, Paul Joseph
Fagius, Paul (Paul Büchlein)
Friedmann, Paul
Gottheil, Paul Eduard
Güterbock, Paul
Guttmann, Paul
Heymann, Paul
Jacobsohn, Paul
Kalisch, Paul
Kayser, Paul
Lagarde, Paul Anton de
Magnus, Paul Wilhelm
Mandel, Paul
Millaud (Arthur Paul David), Albert
Nola, Menahem (John Paul Eusthatius)
Oppenheim, Leo Paul
Paul de Burgos
Paul de Santa Maria
Paul of Tarsus
Ranschburg, Paul
Rieger, Paul
Saint Paul
Sándor, Paul
Singer, Paul
Strauss, Paul
Tenczer, Paul
Unna, Paul Gerson
Weinberg, Paul
Zweifel, Paul
Lexicons (4)
New Testament Aramaic Lexical Dictionary
ܦ݁ܰܘܠܳܘܣ
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary
Ἰοῦστος , Τίτιος
Παῦλος
Σαούλ
THE MESSAGEMSG
Options Options
Colossians 1:6
Read Chapter | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God's master plan. Together with my friend Timothy, I greet the Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who live in Colosse. May everything good from God our Father be yours! Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can't quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope. The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn't diminish or weaken over time. It's the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you've been hungry for more. It's as vigorous in you now as when you learned it from our friend and close associate Epaphras. He is one reliable worker for Christ! I could always depend on him. He's the one who told us how thoroughly love had been worked into your lives by the Spirit. Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating. We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross. You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message. I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth. This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
Colossians 1:7
Read Chapter | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God's master plan. Together with my friend Timothy, I greet the Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who live in Colosse. May everything good from God our Father be yours! Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can't quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope. The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn't diminish or weaken over time. It's the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you've been hungry for more. It's as vigorous in you now as when you learned it from our friend and close associate Epaphras. He is one reliable worker for Christ! I could always depend on him. He's the one who told us how thoroughly love had been worked into your lives by the Spirit. Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating. We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross. You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message. I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth. This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
Colossians 1:8
Read Chapter | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God's master plan. Together with my friend Timothy, I greet the Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who live in Colosse. May everything good from God our Father be yours! Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can't quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope. The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn't diminish or weaken over time. It's the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you've been hungry for more. It's as vigorous in you now as when you learned it from our friend and close associate Epaphras. He is one reliable worker for Christ! I could always depend on him. He's the one who told us how thoroughly love had been worked into your lives by the Spirit.
Colossians 1:15-18
Read Chapter | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross. You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message. I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth. This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
Colossians 1:19
Read Chapter | View Context | Multi-Translations | Study Tools ]
I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God's master plan. Together with my friend Timothy, I greet the Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who live in Colosse. May everything good from God our Father be yours! Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can't quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope. The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn't diminish or weaken over time. It's the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you've been hungry for more. It's as vigorous in you now as when you learned it from our friend and close associate Epaphras. He is one reliable worker for Christ! I could always depend on him. He's the one who told us how thoroughly love had been worked into your lives by the Spirit. Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating. We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross. You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message. I want you to know how glad I am that it's me sitting here in this jail and not you. There's a lot of suffering to be entered into in this world—the kind of suffering Christ takes on. I welcome the chance to take my share in the church's part of that suffering. When I became a servant in this church, I experienced this suffering as a sheer gift, God's way of helping me serve you, laying out the whole truth. This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.
Colossians 1:20
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I, Paul, have been sent on special assignment by Christ as part of God's master plan. Together with my friend Timothy, I greet the Christians and stalwart followers of Christ who live in Colosse. May everything good from God our Father be yours! Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can't quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope. The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn't diminish or weaken over time. It's the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you. From the very first day you heard and recognized the truth of what God is doing, you've been hungry for more. It's as vigorous in you now as when you learned it from our friend and close associate Epaphras. He is one reliable worker for Christ! I could always depend on him. He's the one who told us how thoroughly love had been worked into your lives by the Spirit. Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating. We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.
Colossians 1:21-23
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You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don't walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.
Colossians 4:18
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I'm signing off in my own handwriting—Paul. Remember to pray for me in this jail. Grace be with you.
1 Thessalonians 1:1
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I, Paul, together here with Silas and Timothy, send greetings to the church at Thessalonica, Christians assembled by God the Father and by the Master, Jesus Christ. God's amazing grace be with you! God's robust peace!
1 Thessalonians 1:6
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I, Paul, together here with Silas and Timothy, send greetings to the church at Thessalonica, Christians assembled by God the Father and by the Master, Jesus Christ. God's amazing grace be with you! God's robust peace! Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions. You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.
1 Thessalonians 2:17-20
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Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends? Even though it hadn't been that long and it was only our bodies that were separated from you, not our hearts, we tried our very best to get back to see you. You can't imagine how much we missed you! I, Paul, tried over and over to get back, but Satan stymied us each time. Who do you think we're going to be proud of when our Master Jesus appears if it's not you? You're our pride and joy!
2 Thessalonians 1:1-2
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I, Paul, together with Silas and Timothy, greet the church of the Thessalonian Christians in the name of God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. Our God gives you everything you need, makes you everything you're to be.
2 Thessalonians 3:17
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I, Paul, bid you good-bye in my own handwriting. I do this in all my letters, so examine my signature as proof that the letter is genuine.
1 Timothy 1:1-2
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I, Paul, am an apostle on special assignment for Christ, our living hope. Under God our Savior's command, I'm writing this to you, Timothy, my son in the faith. All the best from our God and Christ be yours!
1 Timothy 1:20
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I, Paul, am an apostle on special assignment for Christ, our living hope. Under God our Savior's command, I'm writing this to you, Timothy, my son in the faith. All the best from our God and Christ be yours! On my way to the province of Macedonia, I advised you to stay in Ephesus. Well, I haven't changed my mind. Stay right there on top of things so that the teaching stays on track. Apparently some people have been introducing fantasy stories and fanciful family trees that digress into silliness instead of pulling the people back into the center, deepening faith and obedience. The whole point of what we're urging is simply love—love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip. They set themselves up as experts on religious issues, but haven't the remotest idea of what they're holding forth with such imposing eloquence. It's true that moral guidance and counsel need to be given, but the way you say it and to whom you say it are as important as what you say. It's obvious, isn't it, that the law code isn't primarily for people who live responsibly, but for the irresponsible, who defy all authority, riding roughshod over God, life, sex, truth, whatever! They are contemptuous of this great Message I've been put in charge of by this great God. I'm so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. The only credentials I brought to it were invective and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn't know what I was doing—didn't know Who I was doing it against! Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus. Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever. Deep honor and bright glory to the King of All Time— One God, Immortal, Invisible, ever and always. Oh, yes! I'm passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we're in. There are some, you know, who by relaxing their grip and thinking anything goes have made a thorough mess of their faith. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two of them. I let them wander off to Satan to be taught a lesson or two about not blaspheming.
2 Timothy 1:1-2
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I, Paul, am on special assignment for Christ, carrying out God's plan laid out in the Message of Life by Jesus. I write this to you, Timothy, the son I love so much. All the best from our God and Christ be yours!
Titus 1:1-4
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I, Paul, am God's slave and Christ's agent for promoting the faith among God's chosen people, getting out the accurate word on God and how to respond rightly to it. My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end. This is the life God promised long ago—and he doesn't break promises! And then when the time was ripe, he went public with his truth. I've been entrusted to proclaim this Message by order of our Savior, God himself. Dear Titus, legitimate son in the faith: Receive everything God our Father and Jesus our Savior give you!
Philemon 1:1-3
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I, Paul, am a prisoner for the sake of Christ, here with my brother Timothy. I write this letter to you, Philemon, my good friend and companion in this work—also to our sister Apphia, to Archippus, a real trooper, and to the church that meets in your house. God's best to you! Christ's blessings on you!
Philemon 1:17-20
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So if you still consider me a comrade-in-arms, welcome him back as you would me. If he damaged anything or owes you anything, chalk it up to my account. This is my personal signature—Paul—and I stand behind it. (I don't need to remind you, do I, that you owe your very life to me?) Do me this big favor, friend. You'll be doing it for Christ, but it will also do my heart good.
2 Peter 3:14-16
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So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation. Our good brother Paul, who was given much wisdom in these matters, refers to this in all his letters, and has written you essentially the same thing. Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand. Irresponsible people who don't know what they are talking about twist them every which way. They do it to the rest of the Scriptures, too, destroying themselves as they do it.
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