New Testament Plan

¹Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

²Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.

³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

⁴When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

⁵Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

⁶For it is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,

⁷and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

⁸But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth.

⁹Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices,

¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it—

¹¹a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all.

¹²So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience;

¹³bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also.

¹⁴In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ, to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful.

¹⁶Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

¹⁷Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

¹⁸Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and do not become bitter against them.

²⁰Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

²¹Fathers, do not antagonize your children, so that they will not become discouraged.

²²Slaves, obey those who are your human masters in everything, not with eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

²³Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people,

²⁴knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

²⁵For the one who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

¹Masters, grant your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

²Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;

³praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;

⁴that I may make it clear in the way that I ought to proclaim it.

⁵Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.

⁶Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

⁷As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information.

⁸For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts;

⁹and with him is Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your own. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

¹⁰Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’ cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him);

¹¹and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.

¹²Epaphras, who is one of your own, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always striving earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.

¹³For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

¹⁴Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and Demas does also.

¹⁵Greet the brothers and sisters who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

¹⁶When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part, read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.

¹⁷Tell Archippus, “See to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, so that you may fulfill it.”

¹⁸I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.

¹Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

²We always give thanks to God for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;

³constantly keeping in mind your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

⁴knowing, brothers and sisters, beloved by God, His choice of you;

⁵for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sakes.

⁶You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word during great affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

⁷so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

⁸For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place the news of your faith toward God has gone out, so that we have no need to say anything.

⁹For they themselves report about us as to the kind of reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,

¹⁰and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is, Jesus who rescues us from the wrath to come.