Letters to the Churches

and no longer pay attention to Judaistic myths or to the commands of people who reject the truth.

To all who are themselves pure, everything is pure. But to those who are defiled and without trust, nothing is pure — even their minds and consciences have been defiled.

They claim to know God, but with their actions they deny him. They are detestable and disobedient; they have proved themselves unfit to do anything good.

But you, explain what kind of behavior goes along with sound teaching.

Tell the older men to be serious, sensible, self-controlled and sound in their trust, love and perseverance.

Likewise, tell the older women to behave the way people leading a holy life should. They shouldn’t be slanderers or slaves to excessive drinking. They should teach what is good,

thus training the younger women to love their husbands and children,

to be self-controlled and pure, to take good care of their homes and submit to their husbands. In this way, God’s message will not be brought into disgrace.

Similarly, urge the young men to be self-controlled,

and in everything set them an example yourself by doing what is good. When you are teaching, have integrity and be serious;

let everything you say be so wholesome that an opponent will be put to shame because he will have nothing bad to say about us.

Tell slaves to submit to their masters in everything, to give satisfaction without talking back

or pilfering. On the contrary, they should demonstrate complete faithfulness always, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Deliverer more attractive.

For God’s grace, which brings deliverance, has appeared to all people.

It teaches us to renounce godlessness and worldly pleasures, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives now, in this age;

while continuing to expect the blessed fulfillment of our certain hope, which is the appearing of the Sh’khinah of our great God and the appearing of our Deliverer, Yeshua the Messiah.

He gave himself up on our behalf in order to free us from all violation of Torah and purify for himself a people who would be his own, eager to do good.

These are the things you should say. Encourage and rebuke with full authority; don’t let anyone look down on you.

Remind people to submit to the government and its officials, to obey them, to be ready to do any honorable kind of work,

to slander no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be friendly, and to behave gently towards everyone.

For at one time, we too were foolish and disobedient, deceived and enslaved by a variety of passions and pleasures. We spent our lives in evil and envy; people hated us, and we hated each other.

But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Deliverer was revealed,

he delivered us. It was not on the ground of any righteous deeds we had done, but on the ground of his own mercy. He did it by means of the mikveh of rebirth and the renewal brought about by the Ruach HaKodesh,

whom he poured out on us generously through Yeshua the Messiah, our Deliverer.

He did it so that by his grace we might come to be considered righteous by God and become heirs, with the certain hope of eternal life.