Letters to the Churches

For the Tanakh says, “You are not to muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,” in other words, “The worker deserves his wages.”

Never listen to any accusation against a leader unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.

Rebuke before the whole assembly those leaders who continue sinning, as a warning to the others.

Before God, the Messiah Yeshua and the chosen angels, I solemnly charge you to observe these instructions, not pre-judging and not doing anything out of favoritism.

Do not be hasty in granting s’mikhah to anyone, and do not share in other people’s sins — keep yourself pure.

Stop drinking water; instead, use a little wine for the sake of your digestion and because of your frequent illnesses.

The sins of some people are obvious and go ahead of them to judgment, but the sins of others follow afterwards.

Likewise, good deeds are obvious; and even when they are not, they can’t stay hidden.

Those who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as worthy of full respect, so that the name of God and the teaching will not be brought into disrepute.

And those who have believing masters are not to show them less respect on the ground that they are brothers; on the contrary, they should serve all the more diligently, since those benefiting from their service are believers whom they love. Teach and exhort people about these things.

If anyone teaches differently and does not agree to the sound precepts of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and to the doctrine that is in keeping with godliness,

he is swollen with conceit and understands nothing. Instead, he has a morbid desire for controversies and word-battles, out of which come jealousy, dissension, insults, evil suspicions,

and constant wrangling among people whose minds no longer function properly and who have been deprived of the truth, so that they imagine that religion is a road to riches.

Now true religion does bring great riches, but only to those who are content with what they have.

For we have brought nothing into the world; and we can take nothing out of it;

so if we have food and clothing, we will be satisfied with these.

Furthermore, those whose goal is to be rich fall into temptation; they get trapped in many foolish and hurtful ambitions which plunge them into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all the evils; because of this craving, some people have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves to the heart with many pains.

But you, as a man of God, flee from these things; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Fight the good fight of the faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you testified so well to your faith before many witnesses.

I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before the Messiah Yeshua, who in his witness to Pontius Pilate gave the same good testimony,

to obey your commission spotlessly and irreproachably until our Lord Yeshua the Messiah appears.

His appearing will be brought about in its own time by the blessed and sole Sovereign, who is King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone is immortal, who dwells in unapproachable light that no human being has ever seen or can see — to him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

As for those who do have riches in this present world, charge them not to be proud and not to let their hopes rest on the uncertainties of riches but to rest their hopes on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.