and have cheered me up, just as they cheered you up. Such men as these deserve notice.

If it is the Lord's will, I hope that I will be able to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be encouraged by news about you.

Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith.

Obey your leaders and follow their orders. They watch over your souls without resting, since they must give to God an account of their service. If you obey them, they will do their work gladly; if not, they will do it with sadness, and that would be of no help to you.

Surely you remember, our friends, how we worked and toiled! We worked day and night so that we would not be any trouble to you as we preached to you the Good News from God.

So he said to his disciples, "The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in.

Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest."

After this the Lord chose another seventy-two men and sent them out two by two, to go ahead of him to every town and place where he himself was about to go.

He said to them, "There is a large harvest, but few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest.

Stay in that same house, eating and drinking whatever they offer you, for workers should be given their pay. Don't move around from one house to another.

I have sent you to reap a harvest in a field where you did not work; others worked there, and you profit from their work."

I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, 'There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.' "

For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field. You are also God's building.

But by God's grace I am what I am, and the grace that he gave me was not without effect. On the contrary, I have worked harder than any of the other apostles, although it was not really my own doing, but God's grace working with me.

to follow the leadership of such people as these, and of anyone else who works and serves with them.

More than anything else, however, we want to please him, whether in our home here or there.

In our work together with God, then, we beg you who have received God's grace not to let it be wasted.

Are they Christ's servants? I sound like a madman---but I am a better servant than they are! I have worked much harder, I have been in prison more times, I have been whipped much more, and I have been near death more often.

I am worried about you! Can it be that all my work for you has been for nothing?

as you offer them the message of life. If you do so, I shall have reason to be proud of you on the Day of Christ, because it will show that all my effort and work have not been wasted.

To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me.

The elders who do good work as leaders should be considered worthy of receiving double pay, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

For the scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain" and "Workers should be given their pay."

The farmer who has done the hard work should have the first share of the harvest.

You are patient, you have suffered for my sake, and you have not given up.

So keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock which the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he made his own through the blood of his Son.

In the church God has put all in place: in the first place apostles, in the second place prophets, and in the third place teachers; then those who perform miracles, followed by those who are given the power to heal or to help others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues.

I left you in Crete, so that you could put in order the things that still needed doing and appoint church elders in every town. Remember my instructions:

Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith.

Obey your leaders and follow their orders. They watch over your souls without resting, since they must give to God an account of their service. If you obey them, they will do their work gladly; if not, they will do it with sadness, and that would be of no help to you.

to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve.

Do not try to rule over those who have been put in your care, but be examples to the flock.

Here is the secret meaning of the seven stars that you see in my right hand, and of the seven gold lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: "This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands.

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: "This is the message from the one who is the first and the last, who died and lived again.

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: "This is the message from the one who has the sharp two-edged sword.

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: "This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes blaze like fire, whose feet shine like polished brass.

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: "This is the message from the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know what you are doing; I know that you have the reputation of being alive, even though you are dead!

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: "This is the message from the one who is holy and true. He has the key that belonged to David, and when he opens a door, no one can close it, and when he closes it, no one can open it.

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: "This is the message from the Amen, the faithful and true witness, who is the origin of all that God has created.

We urge you, our friends, to warn the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat the younger men as your brothers,

Rebuke publicly all those who commit sins, so that the rest may be afraid.

and at the right time he revealed it in his message. This was entrusted to me, and I proclaim it by order of God our Savior.

Teach these things and use your full authority as you encourage and rebuke your hearers. Let none of them look down on you.