And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

This is evidence of God’s righteous judgment, to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which in fact you are suffering.

and to you who are being afflicted to give rest together with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.

With flaming fire he will mete out punishment on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved.

Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God and the endurance of Christ.

For even when we were with you, we used to give you this command: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.”

Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and so provide their own food to eat.

This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them!

in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth.

Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings,

They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

By pointing out such things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, having nourished yourself on the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

For “physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.”

In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.

If a believing woman has widows in her family, let her help them. The church should not be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are truly in need.

Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited.