Study Desk

Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first;

And have a high opinion of them in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

It is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, because of the great increase of your faith, and the wealth of your love for one another;

At his coming, when he will have glory in his saints, and will be a cause of wonder in all those who had faith (because our witness among you had effect) in that day.

Give no belief to false words: because there will first be a falling away from the faith, and the revelation of the man of sin, the son of destruction,

And with every deceit of wrongdoing among those whose fate is destruction; because they were quite without that love of the true faith by which they might have salvation.

But it is right for us to give praise to God at all times for you, brothers, loved by the Lord, because it was the purpose of God from the first that you might have salvation, being made holy by the Spirit and by faith in what is true:

For you yourselves are used to taking us as your example, because our life among you was ruled by order,

Not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, so that you might do the same.

I give praise to him who gave me power, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he took me to be true, making me his servant,

Though I had said violent words against God, and done cruel acts, causing great trouble: but I was given mercy, because I did it without knowledge, not having faith;

Because everything which God has made is good, and nothing is evil, if it is taken with praise:

And this is the purpose of all our work and our fighting, because our hope is in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and specially of those who have faith.

Let no one make little of you because you are young, but be an example to the church in word, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in holy living.

And they are judged because they have been false to their first faith;

Do not take only water as your drink, but take a little wine for the good of your stomach, and because you are frequently ill.

And let those whose masters are of the faith have respect for them because they are brothers, working for them the more readily, because those who take part in the good work are of the faith and are dear. Give orders and teaching about these things.

I give praise to God, whose servant I have been, with a heart free from sin, from the time of my fathers, because in my prayers at all times the thought of you is with me, night and day

May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus because he frequently gave me help, and had no feeling of shame because I was in chains;

For I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been made strong again through you, brother.