First Nations Version

by Terry M. Wildman

  ABOUT OUR NEW BODIES

  1Our bodies are like tipis that we live in here on earth. If our tipi wears out and is taken down in death, we know for sure that the Great Spirit has a better lodge for us in the spirit-world above. That lodge is not made with human hands and will never grow old or wear out.

  2As long as we remain here in our earthly tipis, we groan, for we are aching to put on our tipis from the world above. 3After we have taken off these old bodies, we will be given new bodies to wear.5 In this way we will not remain spirits without bodies.6

  4As long as we remain in these tipis of our earthly bodies, we keep groaning with heavy hearts, longing for something more. We do not desire our earthly bodies to be stripped from us, but that we would be fitted with our new bodies. When this happens, these death-doomed bodies of ours will be overtaken with new life.

  WALKING BY TRUSTING, NOT BY SEEING

  5Our Creator is the one who has made us ready for this new body. The gift of his Spirit is his proof to us that his promise is trustworthy and true. 6This is the reason our hearts remain firm, for we know that as long as we remain in this earthly body, we are not yet at home with our Honored Chief. 7As we walk the road of life, we trust in him even though we do not yet see him, for we walk by faith, not by sight.

  8Our hearts remain so firm in this truth that we can say, “We would rather be at home with our Honored Chief than to remain in these earthly bodies.” 9So whether we stay here on earth or go to be with him in the spirit-world above, it is our aim to make his heart glad. 10For we must all stand before the council seat of the Chosen One and give an answer for what we have done in these earthly bodies—whether good or bad. Then the Chosen One will give back to each of us the honor that is due.

  11Knowing that all will stand before our Honored Chief in this way fills us with great respect and awe. This is why we work so hard to help all people see and understand this truth. The Great Spirit can see who we are, and we trust that you can also see from your hearts who we truly are.

  LIVING OR DYING, WE TRUST IN HIM

  12We are not trying to make ourselves look big in your eyes, but we do want you to be proud of us in a good way. Then you will be able to see through the ones who brag about how things look on the outside rather than what is in the heart. 13If we sound as if we have lost our minds, that is between us and the Great Spirit. If we sound as if we are in our right minds, it is for your good.

  14The love shown to us by the Chosen One has taken hold of our hearts, because we know that if one has died for all human beings, then all of us died. 15He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died and rose for them.

  16So from now on we will no longer look at others through weak human eyes. Even though we used to see the Chosen One in this way, that is not how we see him now.

  NEW CREATION

  17I am saying that anyone who has been joined together with the Chosen One is now part of the new creation. For in the Chosen One the old creation has faded away and the new creation has come into being. 18It is the Great Spirit himself who has done all of this! Through the Chosen One, Creator has removed the hostility between human beings and himself, bringing all creation into harmony once again. The Great Spirit has chosen us to represent him in the sacred task of helping others find and walk this path of peacemaking and healing—turning enemies into friends.

  19The Great Spirit was not holding people’s broken ways against them. Instead, he was working in the Chosen One to bring all people back into harmony with himself. He has now given us the honor of bringing this message to others.

  20So we now represent the Chosen One. It is as if Creator is speaking through us, calling out for all people to walk the path of being restored back to the Great Spirit. 21Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the one who knew no broken ways, was chosen by the Great Spirit to bear our broken ways, so that we would become the ones who represent his right ways.

  TODAY IS A GOOD DAY

  1As we work side by side with Creator, we are calling out for you to not let the gift of Creator’s great kindness fall to the ground. 2For the Great Spirit is speaking to you through the Sacred Teachings, “At the right time I heard your cry, and I set you free on the day you needed my help.”7 Behold! Now is the right time, and today is the day to be set free.

  WALKING IN A GOOD WAY

  3We walk in a way that will make no one else stumble, so that no one has a reason to talk bad about our sacred task. 4Instead, we represent ourselves to others in a good way as servants of the Great Spirit. It is with great patience that we walk through times of trouble, suffering, and misery. 5We have been beaten, thrown in prison, and faced uprisings. We have worked hard, spent nights with no sleep, and have gone hungry for days.

  6We walk with clean hearts as we carry sacred knowledge with patience and kindness. We stay in step with the Holy Spirit as we walk the road of love with our hearts open for all to see. 7We speak the truth by the power of the Great Spirit. We fight for what is right with spiritual weapons in our right hand and in our left.

  WALKING IN THIS WORLD

  8As we walk the road, we are honored and dishonored. Some speak evil of us, while others speak well of us. Even though we speak the truth, some say we speak with a forked tongue. 9We are strangers to some but well known to others. We look as if we are dying, but look again—we live! We have been whipped and mistreated, but death has not found us. 10Our hearts are glad even in times of sorrow. We may be poor, but we have made many rich. It looks as if we have nothing, but the truth is, all things are ours.8

  OPEN MOUTHS AND OPEN HEARTS

  11O you who live in Village of Pleasure (Corinth), we have spoken freely to you, and our hearts have been wide open. 12Our hearts have not been closed to you. Why have yours been closed to us? 13I will speak to you as I would to my own children: let us make a good trade. Since our hearts are wide open to you, you should open wide your hearts to us.

  CREATOR’S LODGE MUST BE KEPT SACRED

  14Do not try to walk in step with those who do not trust in the Chosen One. How can doing right be in harmony with doing wrong? How can light and darkness walk the same path together? 15How can there be any agreement between the Chosen One and the Worthless One (Belial)?9 What common ground does one who trusts in the Chosen One share with one who does not? 16Do spirit-images have any place in Creator’s sacred lodge? For we are his sacred lodge, and Creator lives in us.

  The Great Spirit himself has said, “I will make my home in them and walk among them. I will be their Great Spirit, and they will be my people.”10

  17That is why our Sacred Teachings also say, “‘Walk away from them and separate yourselves from their ways,’ says the Great Spirit. ‘Do not join yourself to what is ceremonially impure, and I will welcome you.’”11 And, 18“‘I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,’ says the All-Powerful One.”

  1My much-loved friends, since Creator has given us promises such as these, let us cleanse both body and spirit from all impurities. We will continue to walk this path of becoming holy because we have such deep respect for the Great Spirit.

  COMFORT AND TROUBLES

  2Open your hearts and let us in. We have wronged no one. We have harmed no one. We have cheated no one. 3I do not say this to accuse you. For as I told you before, whether we live together or die together, you remain in our hearts.

  4I boldly tell others how much I respect you. My heart has been made strong and overflows with joy, even as we walk a troubled path. 5As soon as we came to Land of Tall People (Macedonia) we found no rest for our bodies. Trouble came at us from all directions, arguments from the outside, and fears on the inside.

  6But the Great Spirit, who lifts up the downcast, lifted our hearts by sending Big Man (Titus) to us. 7We were also encouraged when he gave us a good report about your concern for us. He told us of your longing to see me, of your tears, and your burning desire to defend me. This made my heart glad!

  S
ORROW TURNED TO JOY

  8I know that letter I wrote caused you sorrow. At first, this made me wish I had not written it, but since your sorrow was only for a short time, I no longer feel that way. 9Now my heart is glad, not that you were made sad, but that your sadness led you to change your ways. This is what Creator wanted, so that you would not be harmed by our letter. 10With the help of the Great Spirit, sorrow can create a change of heart that will not turn back, which sets us free and makes us whole. But there is a sorrow in this world that leads only to death.

  11Look at what Creator has done in you. He has turned your sorrow into something good. You took my warnings to heart, restored your reputation, and put your anger to good use. You treated my counsel with great respect, and your burning desire was to make the wrongs right again. In every way you have represented yourselves in a good and sacred manner.

  12I wrote that letter not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was harmed. I wrote so that in the eyes of the Great Spirit you would see for yourselves how much we care for the well-being of all the sacred family.

  TRUST RESTORED BECAUSE OF BIG MAN

  13You have lifted up our hearts. For when Big Man (Titus) told us of the joy he felt when you refreshed his spirit, our hearts were also filled with joy. 14I am not ashamed that I bragged about you to Big Man (Titus). For in the same way that we have always spoken truth to you, what we told him about you has also proven to be true. 15His care for you has grown even deeper as he remembers the great respect you showed him when he came to you, and how willing you were to follow all of his instructions. 16All these things make my heart glad and give me the courage to fully trust you.

  GIVING SACRIFICIALLY

  1My sacred family members, we want to tell you what the Great Spirit has done among the sacred families who gather in Land of Tall People (Macedonia). The gift of Creator’s great kindness has taken hold of their hearts. 2Even though they were walking a rough and troubled road with only a few possessions, they found great joy in giving away as much as they could. 3I speak truth from my heart. They not only gave as much as they could. They willingly sacrificed even more. Of their own free will 4they begged us to let them participate in bringing help to Creator’s holy people who live in Village of Peace (Jerusalem).

  5They did much more than we had hoped for. For they first offered their lives to our Honored Chief, and then, under Creator’s guidance, they offered their lives to us as well. 6This is why we asked Big Man (Titus) to once again stir up this gift of great kindness in your hearts. For he is the one who first asked you to join in with this offering to help Creator’s holy people.

  THE RIGHT WAY TO GIVE

  7You are strong in faith, noble in speech, wise in understanding, and wholehearted in all that you do. The love we planted in you has grown strong. Since you have done so well in all these things, see to it that you also do well in this gift of giving. 8I am not demanding that you give, but, by choosing you as an example for others, I am proving how deep your love truly is.

  9For you know the loving kindness of our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One. Even though had great treasures, he became poor for your sake, that through his poverty you might share in his great treasures.

  FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED

  10The reason I give you this counsel is to help you finish what you started to do last year. You were the first to be willing to help, 11so now is the time for you to finish the journey you began. Be as eager to finish this journey as you were when you started, and give as much as you are able. I would not ask you to give more than you are able. 12If you have a willing heart, it is accepted that you give from what you have and not from what you do not have.

  13It is not that I am trying to lift the burden of others only to burden you. But to restore balance, 14you who have more than enough should give to the ones in need. Then when they have more than enough and you are in need, they can help you. This is what I mean by restoring balance. 15Just as it has been written in our Sacred Teachings, “The ones who gathered much had nothing left over. The ones who gathered little had all they needed.”12

  HELPERS IN THE GOOD STORY

  16I give thanks to the Great Spirit, for he put into the heart of Big Man (Titus) the same care that I have for you. 17When we asked Big Man (Titus) for his help, he welcomed the idea, because going to you was already in his heart. 18Along with Big Man (Titus) we have sent a spiritual brother whose reputation for living the good story is well known and highly respected among all the sacred families.

  19It is for this reason the sacred families have chosen him to help us in this sacred task. He will journey with us as we take this gift of kindness to Creator’s holy people in Village of Peace (Jerusalem). We welcome him to join with us in this sacred task that Creator has called us to. 20Taking him with us shows our goodwill and helps us prove beyond a doubt that we are doing things in a good way. 21Our aim is to do what is honorable, not only in the eyes of the Great Spirit but also in the eyes of human beings.

  22We are also sending another spiritual brother to journey with them. He has proven himself to be always willing to help. He has dedicated himself to this sacred task because of the good things he has heard about you.

  23As for Big Man (Titus), he is my trusted partner as he works by my side to serve you. As for the other spiritual brothers, they serve as message bearers for the sacred families and bring honor to the Chosen One. 24So show these brothers your love in a way that the sacred families can clearly see. This will prove that we had good reason to brag about you.

  READY AND WILLING TO GIVE

  1There is no need for me to speak anything more to you about helping Creator’s holy people in this matter of giving. 2I know how ready and willing you are. I brag about you to the sacred families in Land of Tall People (Macedonia). I tell them that the sacred families in Land of Sorrow (Achaia) have been ready to give since last year. It was your eagerness to give that made them want to do the same.

  3To make sure that my bragging about you will not fall to the ground, I am sending some spiritual brothers to you so you will make yourselves ready to give this gift just as I said you would be. 4For if any from Land of Tall People (Macedonia) were to come with me and find you not ready, this would bring shame to us all. 5It is for this reason I felt that I needed to urge these brothers to come to you ahead of time. They will help make sure your promised gift will be ready. In this way, when we arrive, it will show you gave from your hearts and not because you felt forced to give.

  GIVING BRINGS HONOR

  6Remember this saying: The one who plants only a few seeds will harvest a small crop. The one who plants many seeds will harvest a large crop. 7Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not feel forced to give out of guilt because someone is shaming you for not giving. For the Great Spirit loves it when people give with glad hearts.

  8Creator has the power to use the gift of all of his great kindness to provide more than enough for all that you need at all times. In this way you will have plenty to help others, 9just as it says in our Sacred Teachings, “He filled many giveaway blankets with gifts to the poor. His right ways will bring honor to him beyond the end of all days.”

  10The one who gives seed for planting and good food for eating will make your seeds grow into a great harvest for doing what is right. 11His blessing will rest on you in every way so that you can always be a blessing to others. In this way, the gift you give to us for others will bring honor and thanks to the Great Spirit. 12This sacred task of giving not only helps the poor among Creator’s holy people in Village of Peace (Jerusalem), but it also inspires many people to give praise to the Great Spirit.

  13Your willingness to follow through with this sacred task of giving shows that your faithfulness to the good story of the Chosen One goes beyond words. Your freely given gift to them and to all will bring honor to Creator. 14With deep feelings for you they will send their voice to the Great Spirit, for they have
seen the gift of Creator’s great kindness at work in you.

  15Give thanks to the Great Spirit for the gift that goes beyond our weak ways of speaking!

  SMALL MAN SPEAKS FOR HIMSELF

  1Now I, Small Man (Paul), will speak for myself. With all the humility and kindness of the Chosen One I beg you to listen to what I have to say. Some have said that I am weak when with you and bold when away from you. 2These people think that we walk in weak and broken human ways, but they will soon find out what kind of courage and boldness we can walk in! I beg you not to make me treat you in the same manner as I must treat those who stand against me.

  3Even though we are walking in weak human bodies, we are not fighting with human strength. We do not make war in the ways of this world. 4Our weapons have Creator’s power to break through and tear down strongholds. These strongholds are high-minded and wrong ideas about the Great Spirit and his ways. 5We help others see clearly about Creator and capture those wrong ideas, so that the truth about the Chosen One becomes a clear path to follow. 6Then, when you are fully walking in the ways of the Chosen One, we will be ready to bring Creator’s justice to those who fail to walk in his ways.

  7You are only looking at how things appear on the outside. If you are sure that you belong to the Chosen One, you should remind yourself that we, as much as you, also belong to the Chosen One.