Letters to the Churches

But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and guard you from the evil one.

And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command.

And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us.

For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

neither did we eat bread for nought at any man’s hand, but in labor and travail, working night and day, that we might not burden any of you:

not because we have not the right, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you, that ye should imitate us.

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat.

For we hear of some that walk among you disorderly, that work not at all, but are busybodies.

Now them that are such we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

But ye, brethren, be not weary in well-doing.

And if any man obeyeth not our word by this epistle, note that man, that ye have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed.

And yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all.

The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus our hope;

unto Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I exhorted thee to tarry at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; so do I now.

But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned:

from which things some having swerved have turned aside unto vain talking;

desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm.

But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully,

as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,