Read The Jewish Annotated New Testament Online
Authors: Amy-Jill Levine
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As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives
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in him,
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rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
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See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe,
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and not according to Christ.
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For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
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and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.
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In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision,
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by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ;
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when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
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And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God
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made you
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alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses,
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erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.
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He disarmed
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the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.
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Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths.
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These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
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Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling
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on visions,
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puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking,
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and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.
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If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe,
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why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations,
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“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”?
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All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings.
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These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.
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So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
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Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,
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for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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When Christ who is your
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life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
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Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).
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On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.
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These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.
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But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive
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language from your mouth.
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Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices
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and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.
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In that renewal
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there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
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As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
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Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord
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has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
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Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
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And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.
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Let the word of Christ
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dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.
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And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
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Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.
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Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord.
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Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.
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Slaves, obey your earthly masters
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in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.
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Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters,
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since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve
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the Lord Christ.
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For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong has been done, and there is no partiality.
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Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, for you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
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Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.
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At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison,
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so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should.
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Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.
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Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.
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Tychicus will tell you all the news about me; he is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant
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in the Lord.
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I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are
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and that he may encourage your hearts;
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he is coming with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.
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Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him.
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And Jesus who is called Justus greets you. These are the only ones of the circumcision among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
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Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant
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of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in everything that God wills.
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For I testify for him that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.
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Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you.
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Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters
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in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
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And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea.
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And say to Archippus, “See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord.”
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I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
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THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS
AUTHORSHIP, DATE
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, written ca. 50 CE, is the earliest of Paul’s extant writings and, therefore the New Testament’s oldest book. During Paul’s second missionary journey (see map, p.
228
), he traveled to Macedonia and Greece, where he founded a Gentile community in Thessalonica, the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. Paul writes this letter several months after leaving Thessalonica. Although he mentions his fellow missionaries, Silvanus and Timothy, Paul likely wrote the letter himself (with the possible exception of 2.12–16). Paul was practiced in the conventions of Greco-Roman letter writing, which he adapted to fit his purposes; the letter demonstrates a well-developed epistolary style. It follows standard patterns of letter-writing, opening with the names of the sender and recipients and including a greeting in the form of a blessing (1.1). It closes with another greeting and final blessing (5.25–28). It also shows that Paul has been reflecting on the theology of his message in his efforts to answer the questions from the Thessalonian community.