This is the third time I am coming to you.
“At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” 1
2I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare; 3seeing that you seek a proof of AL-MASIH2 who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you. 4For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God3. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you.
5Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know as to your own selves, that ‘ISA4 AL-MASIH is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6But I hope that you will know that we aren’t disqualified.
7Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honourable, though we are as reprobate. 8For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. And this we also pray for, even your perfecting. 10For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord5 gave me for building up, and not for tearing down.
11Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12Greet one another with a holy kiss.
13All the saints greet you.
14The grace of the Lord ‘ISA AL-MASIH, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit6, be with you all. Amen.
- 13:1 Quoting the Taurat, Deuteronomy 19:15 which says: “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sins: at the mouth of two or three witnesses shall a matter be established.” ↩︎
- 13:3 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
- 13:4 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 13:5 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 13:10 Lord, translated from the Greek kurios. Depending on context, it can refer to: 1. God, 2. ’ISA AL-MASIH, 3. men in authority, such as kings, landlords, etc., 4. a respectful salutation meaning, “sir.” ↩︎
- 13:14 Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of God; not an angel or created being, but the uncreated, eternal Spirit of God himself who was present and active at the creation of heaven and earth (see Genesis 1:2), and today lives inside of every follower of ‘ISA AL-MASIH, empowering them to live in a way pleasing to God. ↩︎