19 Instead, you were liberated by
the precious blood of Christ, like that of a flawless, spotless lamb. 20 Christ
was chosen before the creation of the world, but was only revealed at the end
of time. This was done for you,
8 All who live on earth worshipped
it, all whose names hadn’t been written—from the time the earth was made—in the
scroll of life of the Lamb who was slain.
4 God chose us in Christ to be holy
and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world.
15 You didn’t receive a spirit of
slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows
you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.”
19 The whole creation waits
breathless with anticipation for the revelation of God’s sons and daughters.
7 But by the same word, heaven and
earth are now held in reserve for fire, kept for the Judgment Day and
destruction of ungodly people.
9 The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will pass away with a dreadful noise, the elements will be consumed by fire, and the earth and all the works done on it will be exposed.
11 Since everything will be
destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be? You must live holy
and godly lives, 12 waiting for and hastening the
coming day of God. Because of that day, the heavens will be destroyed by fire
and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But
according to his promise we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth, where
righteousness is at home.
17 Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth: past events won’t be remembered; they won’t come to mind.
19 Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness.
25 I, I am the one who wipes out
your rebellious behavior for my sake. I won’t remember your sin.
3 Now while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came
to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will
be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?”
14 This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations. Then the end will come.
15 “When you see the disgusting and destructive thing that Daniel talked about standing in the holy place (the reader should understand this), 16 then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. 17 Those on the roof shouldn’t come down to grab things from their houses. 18 Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. 19 How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. 20 Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter or on the Sabbath day. 21 There will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. 22 If that time weren’t shortened, nobody would be rescued. But for the sake of the ones whom God chose, that time will be cut short.
23 “Then if somebody says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Christ,’ or ‘He’s over
here,’ don’t believe it. 24 False christs and false
prophets will appear, and they will offer great signs and wonders in order to
deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen. 25 Look,
I’ve told you ahead of time. 26 So if they say to
you, ‘Look, he’s in the desert,’ don’t go out. And if they say, ‘Look, he’s in
the rooms deep inside the house,’ don’t believe it. 27 Just
as the lightning flashes from the east to the west, so it will be with the coming
of the Human One.
15 The Son is the image of the
invisible God,
the one who is first over all
creation,
16 Because all things were created
by him:
both in the heavens and on the
earth,
the things that are visible and
the things that are invisible.
Whether
they are thrones or powers,
or
rulers or authorities,
all things were created through
him and for him.
17 He existed before all things,
and all things are held together
in him.
18 He is the head of the body, the
church,
who is the beginning,
the one who is firstborn from
among the dead
so that he might occupy the
first place in everything.
19 Because all the fullness of God
was pleased to live in him,
20 and
he reconciled all things to himself through him—
whether things on earth or in
the heavens.
He
brought peace through the blood of his cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and you were enemies with him in your
minds, which was shown by your evil actions. 22 But
now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death, to present you
before God as a people who are holy, faultless, and without blame. 23 But
you need to remain well established and rooted in faith and not shift away from
the hope given in the good news that you heard. This message has been preached
throughout all creation under heaven. And I, Paul, became a servant of this
good news.
24 Now I’m happy to be suffering for you. I’m completing what is missing
from Christ’s sufferings with my own body. I’m doing this for the sake of his
body, which is the church. 25 I became a servant of
the church by God’s commission, which was given to me for you, in order to complete
God’s word. 26 I’m completing it with a secret
plan that has been hidden for ages and generations but which has now been
revealed to his holy people. 27 God wanted to make
the glorious riches of this secret plan known among the Gentiles, which is
Christ living in you, the hope of glory. 28 This is
what we preach as we warn and teach every person with all wisdom so that we
might present each one mature in Christ. 29 I work
hard and struggle for this goal with his energy, which works in me powerfully.
1 I want you to know how much I struggle for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who haven’t known me personally. 2 My goal is that their hearts would be encouraged and united together in love so that they might have all the riches of assurance that come with understanding, so that they might have the knowledge of the secret plan of God, namely Christ. 3 All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. 4 I’m telling you this so that no one deceives you with convincing arguments, 5 because even though I am absent physically, I’m with you in spirit. I’m happy to see the discipline and stability of your faith in Christ.
6 So live in Christ Jesus the
Lord in the same way as you received him. 7 Be
rooted and built up in him, be established in faith, and overflow with
thanksgiving just as you were taught. 8 See
to it that nobody enslaves you with philosophy and foolish deception, which
conform to human traditions and the way the world thinks and acts rather than
Christ. 9 All the fullness
of deity lives in Christ’s body. 10 And
you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.
Scripture taken from the Common English Bible®, CEB® Copyright © 2010, 2011 by Common English Bible.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The "CEB" and "Common English Bible" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Common English Bible. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Common English Bible.