3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.
Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called, and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you and be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel;
There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one `man' in Christ Jesus.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints that are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ `that are' at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we waxed bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God in much conflict.
Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.
By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I account `him', I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand ye fast therein.
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and `the' Saviour Jesus Christ:
This is now, beloved, the second epistle that I write unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance; that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandments of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles:
But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
And Jehovah delivered unto me the two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them `was written' according to all the words, which Jehovah speak with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
So shalt thou put away the innocent blood from the midst of thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.
And they bend their tongue, `as it were' their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth: for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith Jehovah.
And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people. But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue called `the synagogue' of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake.
But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.
And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, `saying', I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth.
opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, `said he,' I proclaim unto you, is the Christ.
And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out his raiment and said unto them, Your blood `be' upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God.
Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles: they will also hear.
But I write the more boldly unto you in some measure, as putting you again in remembrance, because of the grace that was given me of God, that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, `saying', Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.
Wherefore I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with `you'. And I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me. Yea, I will give diligence that at every time ye may be able after my decease to call these things to remembrance.