Study Desk

yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas's cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him);

Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.

Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.

knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children,

so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.

So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,

These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.