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Chapter 1
This letter comes from Paul and from his friend Timothy, employed by God to
work for Jesus, God's Chosen. It's for the loyal Christian community in
Quaketown. May you have the goodness and peace that come from the Loving
God.
When we talk with God, Parent of our Leader Jesus, we always say 'thankyou'
when we mention you. That's because we've heard about the trust you have in
Jesus and the love you have for one another as Christians. You have great
prospects in the future life God is getting ready for you. You've heard that
before, when you got the Good News, the message you can rely on. The Good
News is having a big effect the world over, and it's had a big effect on
your lives too since you heard it and realised how generous and loving God
is. Charming, a much-loved colleague of ours, was your teacher. As a loyal
helper of Jesus, he's made it his job to care for you. Charming has been
telling us how God's Spirit has made you into loving people.
Ever since we got such a good report from Charming, we've mentioned you
often when we talk with God. We hope you'll get a clear idea of what God
wants of you, so you can do your best for the Leader and make him happy.
You'll get to see the results of all your hard work and learn more about
God's ways. Aim to be reliable. The one famous for being reliable will help
you. Then you'll be ready for anything that comes your way. Show your
appreciation to the Loving God by being bright and cheerful. You're going to
get a share of the wonderful things being got ready for God's people. We've
been rescued from evil's grip and become citizens of the New World. The one
we all love, Jesus, God's Likeness, has brought this about. We've been set
free and waved goodbye to our feelings of guilt.
(15) Yes, Jesus is like a portrait of God come to life, showing us God's
character for the first time. Jesus is the model of what we shall all
become. What we see in Jesus is the life force that brought everything into
being, both in our world and in worlds unknown to us. Jesus is the clue to
what it's all about. There is nothing that does not relate to him, including
world politics. Jesus comes first and everything else falls into place
around him. He is the head of the Christian community. He was the first to
turn death into life. He is number one in every sense. He expressed God
completely through his human personality, and that was God's way of making
friends with all living things, in this world and worlds beyond time and
space. The violent death of Jesus was the key-event in God's peace-process.
You were once enemies of God and strangers to God's ways. You did terrible
things to prove it. The arms of Jesus stretched out in death are the arms of
God open to you in friendship. Jesus wants you to be shining examples of
God's new friends. You will be, if you keep trusting, and don't lose the
hope you got when you heard the Good News. The Good News is for everybody,
everywhere.
(23) PAUL SPEAKING NOW. I’m pleased to have had a hand in spreading the Good
News. I'm quite happy about all the trouble I'm going to for you. I'm
suffering like Jesus, though on a much smaller scale. He did the hard work;
I'm filling in the gaps. It's all for the sake of the Christian community,
which now carries on his work. I've been employed by God on a job that gives
me responsibility for you. My job is to make sure God's message is fully
understood. The truth about God was not clear to people of past generations,
but now God's people are coming to understand it. For the first time we're
realising that people thought of as outsiders are capable of appreciating
God's treasures. The greatest treasure we have is Jesus, our guarantee of a
better life to come. God's Chosen is our prime topic. We're out to teach
people and to advise them, using the most skilful methods. We aim to help
them become mature, like Jesus. That's why I work so hard and give it all
I've got, using every bit of energy Jesus gives me.
Chapter 2
The anxiety I’ve had for you and for the Christians in Banktown, and for
many others I’ve never met, has felt like a wrestling match. I’m so
concerned about your morale, and for your unity as loving communities. You
need to draw on the best fund of knowledge, if you’re to grasp what God is
doing in the world. Jesus should be your teacher. He holds the key to every
form of knowledge and understanding. Watch out for people who try to tie up
your minds with clever talk. Although I’ve never had the pleasure of your
company, I feel I’m one of you. I’m so pleased to learn you’re standing your
ground, and being loyal to God’s Chosen. You’ve taken Jesus as your Leader,
so stick close to him. He’s the foundation of your beliefs and conduct.
That’s what you were taught, isn’t it? Jesus is the one you ought to thank!
Make sure no one traps you in a closed system of beliefs or fobs you off
with slick answers. That type of religion does not come from Jesus, but from
old-fashioned ways of thinking, with fixed ideas. If you want to know what
God is truly like, you can find out by looking at the human Jesus. It’s all
there! He’s given you life to the full. He has much more to offer than
anyone with political power or a good education. Jesus has arranged for you
to be God’s people, not by keeping rules, but by becoming like him. When you
were dipped in the water, it was like going down into the grave with Jesus
and saying ‘goodbye’ to your old life. When you came to the surface, it was
like coming out of the grave with Jesus and saying ‘hello’ to a new life.
You put your trust in what God can do. A life of wrongdoing had scarred your
character, but God gave you a new start and overlooked your past. All those
rules we failed to keep, no longer count. Jesus has scrapped the rules. He
gave them a public execution. His death was like a Roman victory parade.
Heads of state and religious leaders were disarmed and made to look foolish
in front of everyone.
(16) So don’t let anyone tell you you’re not a Christian because of what you
eat or drink, or because you do what they think you shouldn’t on Sundays, or
because you don’t attend every religious service. That’s not what it’s all
about. Being a Christian means making Jesus the centre of your life. And
don’t be made to feel inferior by those who aren’t at ease with their bodies
and wallow in guilt, or by those who claim special relations with
extra-terrestrials, or have weird dreams or whatever. They’re trying to be
one up on you. There’s nothing Christian about that sort of thing. It’s all
too human! Stick close to Jesus. He’s the boss! The Christian community gets
its life-blood from him. We’re a mixed bunch, but he keeps us together. Only
by taking our cue from Jesus, do we make the progress God wants of us.
When you met Jesus, you left behind the fears that made you depressed. So
why are you still letting them occupy your minds? It’s as if you haven’t
made the great leap from one world to another. Why all those taboos? “Do not
touch”, “Don’t go there”, “You can’t eat that!” They’re just social
conventions that one day will be out-of-date. Their origin is human. You may
have rational arguments for your taboos. You can tell me they’re good for
holiness, humility, and self-discipline. I say they simply replace one form
of self-indulgence with another.
Chapter 3
You have come out of the grave with Jesus, so make sure you enjoy his new
life. You can share his special relationship with God. Don’t get bogged down
in trivial matters. Since your experience of death and re-birth, your life
is one with the ongoing life of God. When the curtain goes back to reveal
the reality behind everything, Jesus will be seen as the key to life, and
you’ll be there, in his company.
Get rid of those things that don’t fit in with your new life: irresponsible
relationships, selfish motives, the desire to control and manipulate others.
Don’t be greedy for more and more personal possessions. That’s a false
religion. God will deal severely with those who make the wrong choices. You
made all the wrong choices at one time. You led a really dreadful life. It’s
time to put the past behind you, including bad temper, angry words,
prejudice, gossip, and name-calling. Don’t tell lies to one another. You
used to be lies all over, like a set of clothes. You’ve got new clothes now.
You’re learning to look how God meant you to be. In your new clothes, there
are no differences of race, religion, culture or class. Your relationship to
Jesus is all that matters. You each have a family likeness to him!
You have a special place in God’s heart. So show off those new clothes. Be
sensitive and kind, quiet, gentle and patient. Put up with each other’s
little quirks, and overlook your grievances. The Leader has forgiven you, so
you must forgive one another. What you need most of all is love. It’s the
secret of getting on well together. Adopt Jesus’s peaceful attitude of mind.
That’s what first attracted you and formed you into a community. Treasure
the teachings of Jesus. Put your minds to work and help one another
understand their meaning. Express your thanks to God in music, singing and
dancing. Even your simplest words and actions should display loyalty to the
Leader, and mark your appreciation of what God has done for you.
(18) Those of you who are in committed relationships, should work hand in
hand with your partners. That’s what the Leader wants. Give each other lots
of love. No bullying.
Children, pay attention to everything your parents say to you. The Leader
wants you to respect their wishes. Parents, don’t be too critical of your
children, or you may undermine their confidence.
Workers, always carry out the instructions of your employers, not only when
they’re checking up on you, or when you have an eye to promotion. Do your
very best at all times, as a good advert for the Leader. Put everything
you’ve got into each job of work, as if the Leader were your boss. In fact
the Leader is your true employer. He will give you your wages and arrange
your pension. Those who do shoddy work will have to make good the firm’s
losses out of their pay packet. That’s only fair.
(4:1) Those of you who are employers, treat your workers fairly and
humanely. Don’t forget that you have a boss – Jesus!
Chapter 4
Spend lots of time talking with God, and think carefully about what you’re
saying. The most frequent word on your lips should be ‘thanks’. Don’t forget
to mention us. Ask God to make the way open for us to get the message
across- the truth about Jesus. It’s that message which has put me in prison.
Ask God to help me find the best words.
Be considerate in your approach to those who don’t see things the way you
do. Wait for your opportunity. Always be polite; a touch of humour helps;
use words the one you’re talking to will understand.
Lucky will give you all my news. He’s a dear friend and works full-time for
the Leader. My main purpose in sending him is to get up-to-date news from me
to you and from you to me. Handy is also a dear friend, and has proved his
loyalty. He’s well known to you, I believe. Between them, they’ll be able to
answer all your questions.
Harry sends his best wishes. He’s in prison too. Mark (Cheery’s cousin) also
sends his greetings. (I’ve already asked you to give a warm welcome to Mark,
if ever he visits you.) Justin sends his kind regards. These are the only
Jewish Christians here willing to work with me to bring about God’s New
World. They’ve been a tremendous help! Charming, who belongs to your group,
and works for Jesus, sends his best wishes too. When he talks with God, he
shows great anxiety for you. He wants you to be well balanced and adult in
your determination to do what God wants. I know very well how hard he’s
worked for you and for the groups in Banktown and Templetown.
My very good friend, Dr. Luke, and Demas, send their greetings. Please send
on my greetings to our friends in Banktown, and to Bridget and her house
group. When you’ve read this letter, make sure the folk in Banktown get to
read it. You must also read the letter they will send on to you. [see
footnote] I have a special message for Captain Rider: Make sure you finish
the job the Leader gave you.
I, PAUL, AM TAKING OVER THE PEN TO WRITE THIS BIT OF THE LETTER MYSELF.
PLEASE REMEMBER ME WHILE I’M IN PRISON. MAY YOU KNOW GOD’S GOODNESS AND
LOVE.
Footnote 4:16 Possibly the circular letter we know as Ephesians, called
by Marcion ‘the letter to Laodicea’.
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