For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and lasting possession.
Parallel translations
- WEB For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.
- KJV For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
- BSB You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.
- NKJV for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
- NLT You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They showed compassion to prisoners and joyfully accepted the loss of their property, knowing they had a better, lasting possession in heaven. Eternal hope freed them to suffer loss with joy.
Overview
The readers had sympathized with imprisoned believers and even welcomed the seizure of their goods 'joyfully', because they knew of 'a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens'. Their hope in lasting heavenly treasure relativized earthly loss. This eternal perspective is a model for enduring hardship for Christ's sake.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 24
- 1 Pet 1:4to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you,
- 2 Tim 1:16May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain,
- Eph 6:20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
- Matt 6:19–20“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;
- Matt 5:11–12“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
- Acts 21:33Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.
- Eph 3:1For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,
- 1 Tim 6:19laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.
- Col 1:5because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News,
- Acts 5:41They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’ name.
- Heb 11:16But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
- Luke 12:33Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys.
- Col 3:2–4Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.
- Heb 13:3Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body.
- 1 Jn 3:2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.
- Jas 1:2Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,
- Eph 4:1I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
- Phil 1:7It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.
- Luke 10:42but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
- 2 Tim 2:9in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained.
- Acts 28:20For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”
- Matt 19:21Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
- 2 Tim 4:8From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.
- 2 Cor 5:1For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
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