⁸ As long as we have life we are living to the Lord; or if we give up our life it is to the Lord; so if we are living, or if our life comes to an end, we are the Lord's.

²⁰ In the measure of my strong hope and belief that in nothing will I be put to shame, but that without fear, as at all times, so now will Christ have glory in my body, by life or by death.

¹³ And a voice from heaven came to my ears, saying, Put in writing, There is a blessing on the dead who from now on come to their end in the Lord: yes, says the Spirit, that they may have rest from their troubles; for their works go with them.

¹⁰ Who was put to death for us, so that, awake or sleeping, we may have a part in his life.

¹⁴ For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power.

¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping.

¹⁶ Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a word of authority, with the voice of the chief angel, with the sound of a horn: and the dead in Christ will come to life first;

¹⁷ Then we who are still living will be taken up together with them into the clouds to see the Lord in the air: and so will we be for ever with the Lord.

¹⁸ So then, give comfort to one another with these words.

³⁰ Because for the work of Christ he was near to death, putting his life in danger to make your care for me complete.

¹⁷ And even if I am offered like a drink offering, giving myself for the cause and work of your faith, I am glad and have joy with you all:

²³ But every man in his right order: Christ the first-fruits; then those who are Christ's at his coming.

²² Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

²³ And you are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

¹³ Then Paul said, What are you doing, weeping and wounding my heart? for I am ready, not only to be a prisoner, but to be put to death at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

²⁴ But I put no value on my life, if only at the end of it I may see the work complete which was given to me by the Lord Jesus, to be a witness of the good news of the grace of God.

³⁶ Now David, having done God's work for his generation, went to sleep, and was put with his fathers, and his body came to destruction:

¹⁹ Now this he said, pointing out the sort of death by which he would give God glory. And after saying this, he said to him, Come after me.