And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you,

Then we who are alive, who are left, ¹  will be suddenly caught up ²  together ³  with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another.

he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit,

how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him,

We know that ¹  we have crossed over ²  from death to life ³  because ⁴  we love our fellow Christians. ⁵  The one who does not love remains in death. ⁶ 

We have come to know love by this: ¹  that Jesus ²  laid down ³  his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.

Demetrius ¹  has been testified to by all, even by the truth itself. We also testify to him, ²  and you know that our testimony is true.

Then some soldiers ¹  also asked him, “And as for us – what should we do?” ²  He told them, “Take money from no one by violence ³  or by false accusation, ⁴  and be content with your pay.”

But we had hoped ¹  that he was the one who was going to redeem ²  Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened.

and they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

Then the Jewish leaders ¹  said to one another, “Where is he ²  going to go that we cannot find him? ³  He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed ⁴  among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? ⁵ 

But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. ¹  Ask him, he is a mature adult. ²  He will speak for himself.”

Then they summoned ¹  the man who used to be blind ²  a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. ³  We know that this man ⁴  is a sinner.”

I ¹  am no longer in the world, but ²  they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe ³  in your name ⁴  that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. ⁵ 

Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they replied. ¹  They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. ¹  So now we are all here in the presence of God ²  to listen ³  to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” ⁴ 

We went on ahead ¹  to the ship and put out to sea ²  for Assos, ³  intending ⁴  to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. ⁵  He ⁶  himself was intending ⁷  to go there by land. ⁸ 

So now you and the council ¹  request the commanding officer ²  to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine ³  his case ⁴  by conducting a more thorough inquiry. ⁵  We are ready to kill him ⁶  before he comes near this place.” ⁷ 

They replied, ¹  “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there ²  and reported or said anything bad about you.