First Letter from Small Man to the Sacred Family in Village of False Victory 2
2
SEEKING TO PLEASE THE GREAT SPIRIT
1So then, my sacred family members, you can see that our time with you did not fail in its purpose. 2For you already know about the mistreatment and insults we faced at Village of Horses (Philippi). But in the midst of such hostility Creator gave us the boldness to tell you his good story.
3Our message to you had no false purpose. We were not trying to trick or fool anyone. 4For it is the Great Spirit himself who has approved and entrusted us with the good story. We do not speak to please human beings but to please the Great Spirit, the one who puts our hearts to the test.
5As you know, we did not try to sweet-talk you into giving us your possessions. Creator is our witness. 6We were not looking for you or anyone else to give us honor, 7even though as message bearers of the Chosen One we could have required it. Instead, we were as gentle among you as a nursing mother caring for her own children. 8We cared so much for you that we were willing to share with you not only Creator’s good story but our own lives as well. That is how deep our love for you has become.
WORKING HARD, NIGHT AND DAY
9My sacred family members, I am sure you remember how hard we worked night and day so we would not be a burden to anyone as we told Creator’s good story to you. 10Along with the Great Spirit, you who trust our message are witnesses to the honest, good, and blameless ways we walked among you. 11For you know that we treated you as parents would treat their own children. We begged and comforted and urged you 12to walk in ways that bring honor to Creator, the one who chose you to walk his good road that shines like the sun.
13This is why we never stop giving thanks to the Great Spirit for the manner in which you welcomed his message. You received it for what it truly is, the word of Creator and not the word of human beings. His word is now at work in you who trust in its message.
HOSTILE TO THE GOOD STORY
14You, my spiritual relatives, have followed in the footsteps of Creator’s sacred families who gather in Land of Promise (Judea), who are also joined together in Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One. For you have suffered mistreatment at the hands of your people, just as they did from their own Tribal Members. 15They are the ones who killed our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and the prophets and have driven us away. They fail to please the Great Spirit and are hostile to all humankind. 16They try to keep us from telling the Outside Nations the good story so they can be set free and made whole. Their broken ways have always taken them down the wrong path, but now the storm of Creator’s great anger is catching up with them, leading to a bad end.
HINDERED FROM COMING TO YOU
17My sacred family members, we may have been physically separated from you, but you were still in our hearts. This made us long for you even more and to try to see you face to face. 18Our desire was to come to you. I, Small Man (Paul), tried more than once, but Accuser (Satan) held us back. 19For who else but you will be our headdress of honor making our hearts glad before our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus) when he appears? 20Yes, you are our honor and our joy!
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