Study Desk

So I exhort the Elders among you--I who am their fellow Elder and have been an eye-witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and am also a sharer in the glory which is soon to be revealed.

Humble yourselves therefore beneath the mighty hand of God, so that at the right time He may set you on high.

The Church in Babylon, chosen like yourselves by God, sends greetings, and so does Mark my son.

14 Salute one another with a kiss of love [the symbol of mutual affection]. To all of you that are in Christ Jesus (the Messiah), may there be peace ( [fn] every kind of peace and blessing, especially peace with God, and [fn] reedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts). Amen (so be it).

For this reason, brethren, be all the more in earnest to make sure that God has called you and chosen you; for it is certain that so long as you practise these things, you will never stumble.

And so a triumphant admission into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be freely granted to you.

But I think it right, so long as I remain in the body, my present dwelling-place, to arouse you by such reminders.

So on every possible occasion I will also do my best to enable you to recall these things after my departure.

Since all this is so, the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from temptation, and on the other hand how to keep the unrighteous under punishment in readiness for the Day of Judgement,

so that you may recall the words spoken long ago by the holy Prophets, and the commandments of our Lord and Saviour given you through your Apostles.

You, therefore, dear friends, having been warned beforehand, must continually be on your guard so as not to be led astray by the false teaching of immoral men nor fall from your own stedfastness.

18 But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and [fn] recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)!

If we confess our sins, He is so faithful and just that He forgives us our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

And yet I *am* giving you a new command, for such it really is, so far as both He and you are concerned: because the darkness is now passing away and the light, the true light, is already beginning to shine.

Dear children, the last hour has come; and as you once heard that there was to be an anti-Christ, so even now many anti-Christs have appeared. By this we may know that the last hour has come.

And now, dear children, continue in union with Him; so that, if He re-appears, we may have perfect confidence, and may not shrink away in shame from His presence at His Coming.

And every man who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself so as to be as pure as He is.

They are the world's children, and so their language is that of the world, and the world listens to them. We are God's children.

God's love for us has been manifested in that He has sent His only Son into the world so that we may have Life through Him.

Dear friends, if God has so loved us, we also ought to love one another.