and know that you also have a Lord in heaven.
(Colossians)
Chapter 4
Of Christian prayer and careful walk.

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.

And at the same time pray also for us, that God may open unto us the door of the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, wherefore I also am bound,

that I may reveal the same, as I ought to speak.

Walk wisely toward them that are without, and send you into the time.

Let your speech always be sweet and seasoned with salt.
seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

How I am, all things shall Tychicus, the dear brother, and faithful servant, and fellow servant in the Lord, make known unto you,

Whom I have sent unto you for this purpose, that he may know how it is with you, and that he may exhort your hearts,

Together with Onesimus, the faithful and dear brother, who is one of yours. They will tell you everything that is due here.

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you, and Mark the nephew of Barnabas, from whom ye have received certain commands (if he come unto you, receive him); 11. And Jesus, who is called Just, which are of the circumcision. These alone are my helpers in the kingdom of God, who have become a comfort to me.

Epaphras saluteth you, which is of you, a servant of Christ; and always with prayers do ye contend for yourselves, that ye may be perfect, and fulfilled in all the will of God.

I bear him witness, that he hath great diligence for you, and for them which are at Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Greetings unto you, Luke the physician, the beloved, and Demas.

Salute the brethren that are at Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that is in his house.

And when the epistle is read among you, cause it to be read also in the church at Laodicea, and that ye read that of Laodicea.

And say unto Archippus, Behold the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou mayest execute the same.

My greeting with my hand, Paul’s. Remember my bonds! Grace be with you! Amen.
Written from Rome by Tychicus and Onesimus.
Text of the unrevised Luther Bible 1545
[Processed by BackToLuther. German text published here.]
The first letter of Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians) ^
Chapter 1
Exhortation to the Thessalonians to persevere in Christianity.

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, to the church at Thessalonica, in GOD the Father, and the Lord JESUS CHRIST. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks unto God always for you all, and remember you in our prayers without ceasing.

And remember your work of faith, and your labour of love, and your patience of hope, which is our Lord JESUS Christ in the sight of GOD and our Father.

For, brethren, beloved of God, we know how ye are chosen,

That our gospel was not with you in word only, but both in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in great assurance: as ye know what manner of things we were among you for your sakes.

And ye became our followers, and of the LORD, and received the word with joy in the Holy Ghost, through many tribulations,

So that ye became an example unto all the faithful of Macedonia and Achaia.

For the word of the LORD hath gone forth from you, not only into Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith also in God is broken forth; so that there is no need to say anything unto you.

For they themselves declare of you what entrance we have had unto you, and how ye are converted unto God from idols, to serve the living and true God.

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he hath raised from the dead, Jesus, who hath redeemed us from the wrath to come.
(1 Thessalonians)
Chapter 2
Eager listeners are a great joy to faithful teachers.

For ye also know, brethren, of our coming unto you, that it was not in vain, 2. But when we had suffered before, and were reproached at Philippi, as ye know, we were yet glad in our God to speak the gospel of God unto you with great strife.

For our exhortation was not to error, nor to uncleanness, nor to craftiness, 4. But as we are approved of God, that the gospel is entrusted unto us to preach, so speak we, not as seeking to please men, but God, who trieth our hearts.

For we have never dealt in flattery, as ye know, nor been given to covetousness; God is witness of it.

Neither have sought honour of men, either of you, or of others.

Though we had been heavy with you as Christ’s apostles, yet we have been motherly with you, as a nurse carrieth for her children.

So we delighted in you, and were willing to impart unto you, not only the gospel of God, but also our lives; because we loved you.

Ye are well mindful, brethren, of our labour and our toil: for we laboured day and night, that we might be a burden to none of you, preaching the gospel of GOD among you.

Of this ye are witnesses, and unto God, how holy and righteous and blameless we have been with you that believed.

Knowing therefore, that we, as a father to his children, admonish and comfort every one of you.

And have testified that ye should walk worthily before God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and to his glory.

Wherefore we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye receive from us the word of
divine preaching, ye receive it not as the word of men, but (as it is indeed) as the word of God; which also worketh in you that believe.

For ye are followers, brethren, of the churches of GOD in Judea in Christ JESUS, in that ye have suffered the same of your blood friends, that they of the Jews, 15. Who also have killed the LORD JESUS, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not GOD, and are contrary to all men,

For we forbid to say unto the heathen, that they may be saved, that they may fulfil their sins alway: for wrath is already come upon them at last.

But we, brethren, having been a while deprived of you according to the face, and not according to the heart, have hastened the more, to see your face with great longing.

Therefore we desired to come unto you (I, Paul) twice; and Satan hindered us.

For who is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory? are ye not so in the sight of our Lord JESUS
CHRIST for his future?

For ye are our glory and our joy.
(1 Thessalonians)
Chapter 3
Paul’s care and prayer for the Thessalonians.

Wherefore we would not bear it further, and were pleased to be left alone at Athens, 2. And have sent Timothy, our brother and servant of God, and our helper in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and exhort you in your faith,

Lest any man faint in these tribulations: for ye know that we are made for this purpose.

And when we were with you, we told you before that we should have tribulation: as it is, and ye know it.

For which cause I could no longer endure it, I sent forth to know your faith, lest peradventure temptation should try you, and our labour be in vain.

But now, Timothy having come to us from you, and having declared unto us your faith and love, and that ye always remember us for the best, and desire to see us, as we do to see you, 7. Then were we comforted in you, brethren, in all our affliction and distress, through your faith.

For now are we alive, because we stand in the LORD.

For what thanks may we render to God for you, for all this joy which we have from you before our God?

We pray almost night and day, that we may see your faces, and repay you for the lack of your faith.

But he, God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, send our way unto you.

But let the LORD increase you, and let love be perfect among yourselves, and toward every man (as we also are toward you),

That your hearts, being strengthened, may be blameless in holiness before God and our Father, unto the coming of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, and of all his saints.
(1 Thessalonians)
Chapter 4
Exhortation to holy walk. Trust against sadness from the resurrection of the dead.
(Epistle on Sunday Reminiscere.)

Further, brethren, we beseech you and exhort you in the Lord Jesus (after you have received from us how you ought to walk and please God), that you may be more and more complete.

For ye know what commandments we have given you by the Lord Jesus.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that ye avoid fornication, 4. And let every one of you keep his barrel in sanctification and honour, 5. Not in the lust pestilence like the heathen, who know nothing of GOD; 6. And that no man go too far, nor take advantage of his brother in trade: for the LORD is the avenger of all these things, as we have said and testified unto you before.

For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to sanctification].

Whosoever therefore despiseth, despiseth not men, but God, who hath given his Holy Spirit within you.

But of brotherly love it is not necessary to write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God
to love one another.

And this do ye also unto all the brethren which are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brethren, that ye be yet more complete.

And run after it, that