Chapter III
1 Exhorts them to prayer; to be unblamable.
5 To be careful of salvation;
11 frequent in public devotion;
13 and to live in charity.
PRAY also without ceasing for
other men; for there is hope
of repentance in them, that they
may attain unto God. Let them
therefore at least be instructed by
your works, if they will be no
other way.
2 Be ye mild at their anger;
humble at their boasting; to their
blasphemies return your prayers
to their error, your firmness in
the faith; when they are cruel,
be ye gentle; not endeavouring
to imitate their ways.
(3 Let us be their brethren in
all kindness and moderation, but
let us be followers of the Lord;
for who was ever more unjustly
used? More destitute? More
despised?).
4 That so no herb of the devil
may be found in you: but ye may
remain in all holiness and sobriety
both of body and spirit, in Christ
Jesus.
5 The last times are come upon
us: let us therefore be very
reverent, and fear the long-
suffering of God, that it be
not to us unto condemnation.
6 For let us either fear the
wrath that is to come, or let us
love the grace that we at present
enjoy; that by the one or other of
these, we may be found in Christ
Jesus, unto true life.
7 Besides him, let nothing be
worthy of you; for whom also I
bear about these bonds; those
spiritual jewels, in which I would
to God that I might arise through
your prayers.
8 Of which I entreat you to
make me always partaker, that I
may be found in the lot of the
Christians of Ephesus, who have
always agreed with the Apostles,
through the power of Jesus Christ.
9 I know both who I am, and
to whom I write: I, a person
condemned; ye, such as have
obtained mercy; I, exposed
to danger; ye confirmed
against danger.
10 Ye are the passage of
those that are killed for God;
the companions of Paul in the
mysteries of the Gospel; the
holy, the martyr, the deservedly
most happy Paul: at whose feet
may I be found, when I shall have
attained unto God; who throughout
all his epistles, makes mention
of you in Christ Jesus.
11 Let it be your care therefore
to come more fully together, to
the praise and glory of God;
for when ye meet fully together
in the same place, the powers of
the devil are destroyed, and his
mischief is dissolved by the unity
of your faith.
12 And indeed, nothing is better
than peace, by which all war both
spiritual and earthly is abolished.
13 Of all which, nothing is hid
from you, if ye have perfect faith
and charity in Christ Jesus, which
are the beginning and end of life.
14 For the beginning is faith;
the end is charity. And these two
joined together, are of God; but
all other things which concern a
holy life, are the consequences of
these.
15 No man professing a true
faith, sinneth; neither does he
who has charity hate any.
16 The tree is made manifest
by its fruit; so they who profess
themselves to be Christians are
known by what they do.
17 For Christianity is not the
work of an outward profession;
but shows itself in the power of
faith, if a man be found faithful
unto the end.
18 It is better for a man to hold
his peace, and be; than to say, he
is a Christian, and not to be.
19 It is good to teach; if what
he says he does likewise.
20 There is therefore one master
who spake, and it was done; and
even those things which he did
without speaking, are worthy
of the Father.
21 He that possesses the word
of Jesus, is truly able to bear his
very silence. That he may be perfect,
he will do according to what he
speaks, and be known by those
things of which he is silent.
22 There is nothing hid from
God, but even our secrets are nigh
unto him.
23 Let us therefore do all
things, as becomes those who
have God dwelling in them;
that we maybe his temples;
and he may be our God as also
he is, and will manifest himself
before our faces, by those things
for which we justly love him.