Chapter 4

  And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more.  

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  Because you have in mind the orders we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  

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  For the purpose of God for you is this: that you may be holy, and may keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh;  

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  So that every one of you may keep his body holy and in honour;  

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  Not in the passion of evil desires, like the Gentiles, who have no knowledge of God;  

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  And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.  

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  Because it is God's purpose that our way of life may be not unclean but holy.  

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  Whoever, then, goes against this word, goes against not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.  

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  But about loving the brothers, there is no need for me to say anything to you in this letter: for you have the teaching of God that love for one another is right and necessary;  

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  And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more;  

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  And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders;  

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  That you may be respected by those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.  

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  But it is our desire, brothers, that you may be certain about those who are sleeping; so that you may have no need for sorrow, as others have who are without hope.  

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  For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.  

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  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping.  

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  Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first;  

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  Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord.  

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  So then, give comfort to one another with these words.  

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