Greeting and Purpose of the Letter

1 I bid you greeting, sons and daughters, in the name of the Lord who loved us, in peace. 2 Seeing that the ordinances of God are great and rich for you, I rejoice with exceedingly great and overflowing joy at your blessed and glorious spirits; so innate is the grace of the spiritual gift that you have received. 3 Therefore, I congratulate myself even more, hoping to be saved, because I truly see the Spirit poured out among you from the riches of the Lord’s fount. The much-desired sight of you amazed me so greatly concerning you. 4 Being fully persuaded of this, and knowing within myself that, having said much among you, I am aware the Lord journeyed with me on the way of righteousness, and I am wholly compelled to love you more than my own soul for great faith and love dwells in you through the hope of the life which is His—considering this therefore, 5 if I take care to communicate to you some portion of what I received, it will turn to my reward for having served such spirits. I was eager to send you a small piece, so that along with your faith you might also have your knowledge complete. 6 Well then, there are three ordinances of the Lord: *the hope of life, which is the beginning and end of our faith; and righteousness, which is the beginning and end of judgment; love shown in gladness and exultation, the testimony of works of righteousness.* 7 For the Lord made known to us through His prophets things past and present, giving us likewise the firstfruits of the taste of things to come. And seeing each of these things separately occurring as He said, we should offer a richer and higher offering to Him in reverent fear. But I, not as though I were a teacher but as one of you,⁠a will show a few things by which you will be gladdened in these present circumstances.