We are proud that our conscience assures us that our lives in this world, and especially our relations with you, have been ruled by God-given frankness and sincerity, by the power of God's grace and not by human wisdom.

for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct.

No one can deny how great is the secret of our religion: He appeared in human form, was shown to be right by the Spirit, and was seen by angels. He was preached among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, and was taken up to heaven.

Whoever teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching of our religion

From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I was chosen and sent to help the faith of God's chosen people and to lead them to the truth taught by our religion,

That grace instructs us to give up ungodly living and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this world,

Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God,

The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one part of the land to possess as our own? There are very many of us because the LORD has blessed us."

The wicked plot against good people and glare at them with hate.

The wicked draw their swords and bend their bows to kill the poor and needy, to slaughter those who do what is right;

"Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted.

Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.

"No pupil is greater than his teacher; no slave is greater than his master.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me.

And so I tell you that I will send you prophets and wise men and teachers; you will kill some of them, crucify others, and whip others in the synagogues and chase them from town to town.

will receive much more in this present age. They will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields---and persecutions as well; and in the age to come they will receive eternal life.

"Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well.

Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples.

If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from this world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you.

But they will do all this to you because you are mine; for they do not know the one who sent me.

You will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time will come when those who kill you will think that by doing this they are serving God.

I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!"

I gave them your message, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

They strengthened the believers and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. "We must pass through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God," they taught.

If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world.

so that none of you should turn back because of these persecutions. You yourselves know that such persecutions are part of God's will for us.

For while we were still with you, we told you ahead of time that we were going to be persecuted; and as you well know, that is exactly what happened.

Should I go on? There isn't enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.

put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners.

Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison.

The world was not good enough for them! They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.

For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it.

It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps.

But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, how happy you are! Do not be afraid of anyone, and do not worry.

My dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you.

Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ's followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name.

Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings.

But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation.

I am John, your brother, and as a follower of Jesus I am your partner in patiently enduring the suffering that comes to those who belong to his Kingdom. I was put on the island of Patmos because I had proclaimed God's word and the truth that Jesus revealed.

On the Lord's day the Spirit took control of me, and I heard a loud voice, that sounded like a trumpet, speaking behind me.

"I don't know, sir. You do," I answered. He said to me, "These are the people who have come safely through the terrible persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.

With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman, in order to eat her child as soon as it was born.

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels;

The huge dragon was thrown out---that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him.