Reference: Ethics
Hastings
The present article will be confined to Biblical Ethics. As there is no systematic presentation of the subject, all that can be done is to gather from the Jewish and Christian writings the moral conceptions that were formed by historians, prophets, poets, apostles. The old history culminates in the story of the perfect One, the Lord Jesus Christ, from whom there issued a life of higher order and ampler range.
I. OT Ethics.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil. And having fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards hungry. read more. And the tempter came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread. And he answered and said; It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him into the holy city, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning you, and they shall take you up on their hands, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, Again it is written, You shall not try the Lord your God. Again the devil took him away on a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory, and said to him, All these things will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, Get behind me Satan; for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. Then the devil left him; and behold angels came and waited on him.
AND seeing the multitudes, he went on the mountain and sat down; and his disciples came to him.
AND seeing the multitudes, he went on the mountain and sat down; and his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying;
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying; Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.[\ul Note: Verse
follows verse
Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.[\ul Note: Verse
follows verse in Sawyer]
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
in Sawyer]
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are the persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say every evil against you, falsely, for my sake.
Blessed are you when they shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say every evil against you, falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and exult, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.
Rejoice and exult, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its strength, with what shall it be seasoned? It is good for nothing more, except being cast out to be trodden upon by men. read more. You are the light of the world. A city situated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a modius [1.916 gallon measure], but on a candlestick, and it shines to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your father in heaven. Think not that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets; I have not come to destroy but to complete.
You have heard that it was said by the ancients, You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be subject to the judgment.
You have heard that it was said by the ancients, You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be subject to the judgment. But I tell you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be subject to the judgment; and whoever says to his brother, Worthless fellow, shall be subject to the Sanhedrim; and whoever says, You fool, shall be subject to the hell of fire. read more. If, therefore, you offer your gift on the altar, and there remember that your brother has any thing against you, leave there your gift before the altar, and go and first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery; but I tell you, that every one who looks on a woman to desire her inordinately, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you not to resist the evil man; but whoever shall strike you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also;
But take heed not to perform your righteousness before men, to be seen by them; otherwise indeed, you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
that your charity may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you.
But when you pray enter into your private room, and having shut your door pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you.
For if you forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you; but if you forgive not men, neither will your Father forgive your offenses.
that you may not appear to men to fast, but to your Father in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you.
Every one, therefore, that hears these words of mine and performs them, I will liken to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on the rock. read more. And every one who hears these words of mine and performs them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell; and its fall was great.
For in what respect is it easier to say, Your sins are forgiven, than to say, Arise and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has power on the earth to forgive sins, then he said to the paralytic, Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.
He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he that does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. read more. He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.
I tell you truly, there has not arisen among those born of woman a greater than John the Baptist; but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man, out of his good treasury, casts forth good things; and the evil man, out of his evil treasury, casts forth evil things.
For I tell you truly, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear and have not heard it.
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will declare things which have been concealed from the foundation of the world.
And he said to them, Every scribe therefore that is instructed in the kingdom of heaven, is like a householder who casts out of his treasury things new and old.
On this account, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle with his servants. And beginning to settle, a debtor of ten thousand talents [$10,000,000] was brought to him. read more. And he having nothing to pay, the lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. Then the servant fell down and worshipped him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay all. And the lord of that servant having compassion on him released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants who owed him one hundred denarii [$14], and seizing him, he choked him, saying, Pay what you owe me. Then his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, Have patience with me and I will pay you. But he would not; but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt. Then his fellow-servants seeing what was done, were greatly displeased, and went and related to their lord all things that were done. Then his lord called him, and said to him, Evil servant; I forgave you all that debt because you besought me [to do it]. Ought you not also to pity your fellow-servant, as I pitied you? And his lord was displeased, and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all the debt. So also will my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not each one his brother from your hearts.
And they do all their works to be seen by men. For they make broad their prayer fillets, and enlarge the fringes,
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which appear fair without, but within are full of the bones of the dead and of all impurity.
Then shall he say to those on his left hand, Depart from me accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; read more. a stranger, and you took me not in; sick and in prison and you visited me not. Then shall they also answer and say, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not serve you? Then he shall answer them saying, I tell you truly, that inasmuch as you have not done it to one of the least of these my brothers, you have not done it to me.
teaching them to keep all things which I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always till the consummation of the world.
And the scribes and Pharisees seeing him eating with sinners and publicans, said to his disciples, Why does he eat and drink with sinners and publicans? And Jesus hearing it, said to them, The well need not a physician, but the ill; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
No one sews a piece of undressed cloth on an old garment; if he does the new piece takes away its fullness from the old, and the rent is made worse. And no one puts new wine into old bottles; if he does the wine breaks the bottles, and the wine and the bottles are destroyed.
and seeing some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands, [they found fault]. For the Pharisees and all the Jews eat not unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding the tradition of the elders. read more. And from a market, unless they baptize they eat not; and there are many other [customs] which they have received to hold; baptisms, of cups and sextuses [ And the Pharisees and scribes asked, Why do not your disciples conform to the tradition of the elders; but eat bread with defiled hands? And he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophecy of you, hypocrites, as it is written; This people honors me with the lips, but their heart is far from me; but in vain do they worship me, teaching for teachings the commandments of men; for leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men.
And he said to them, Are you also so without understanding? Do you not understand that nothing which enters into a man from without can defile him, because it enters not into his heart, but into the stomach, and goes out to the earth, purifying all aliments? read more. But he said, that which comes out of the man, this defiles him; for from within, from the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, fornications,
for from within, from the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, covetousness, malice, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
thefts, murders, adulteries, covetousness, malice, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man.
And the Pharisees came and asked him, to try him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you? read more. And they said, Moses permitted us to write a bill of divorcement and put her away. And Jesus said to them, Because of your hardness of heart, he wrote you this ordinance; but from the beginning of creation, he made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and the two shall be one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What God therefore has yoked together, let not man separate.
And they came and said to him, Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no one, for you respect not the face of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar or not? Shall we pay? or shall we not pay? But he knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why do you try me? Bring me a denarius [14 cents], that I may see it. read more. And they brought him one. And he said to them, Whose is this figure, and the inscription? And they said to him, Caesar's. And Jesus said, Render Caesar's dues to Caesar, and God's to God. And they wondered at him.
And when the sun went down, all who had friends sick with various diseases brought them to him; and putting his hands on each one of them he cured them;
Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she has loved much; but he to whom little is forgiven, loves little.
And he said to another, Follow me. And he said, Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father. But he said to him, Let the dead bury their dead, but do you go and proclaim abroad the kingdom of God.
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in you, they would long ago have changed their minds, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you. read more. And you, Capernaum, even to heaven will you be exalted? even to hades shall you be cast down. He that hears you, hears me; and he that rejects you, rejects me; and he that rejects me, rejects him that sent me.
AND behold, a certain lawyer stood up to try him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he said to him, What is written in the law? how do you read? read more. And he answered and said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. And he said to him, You have answered well; do this, and you shall live. But he, wishing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And Jesus replied and said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who both stripped him and inflicted blows upon him, and went away leaving him half dead. And, providentially, a certain priest went down that way, and seeing him passed by on the other side. And in like manner a Levite also, being at the place, came and saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, on a journey, came where he was, and seeing him had compassion on him; and he came and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and putting him on his own beast, brought him to a khan, and took care of him. And on the next day, putting out two denarii [28 cents], he gave them to the khan-keeper, and said, Take care of him, and whatever you expend more, when I return I will pay you. Which of these three think you was a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers? And he said, He that had mercy on him. Then said Jesus to him, Do you go and do likewise.
If any one comes to me, and hates not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and still more his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
What man of you having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the lost sheep till he finds it. And finding it, he puts it on his shoulders rejoicing; read more. and coming to the house, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying, Congratulate me; for I have found my sheep that was lost. So, I tell you, there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner that changes his mind, more than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need a change of mind.
And he said to them, You are they that justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts; for that which is high among men is an abomination before God.
There was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day. And a certain poor man by the name of Lazarus was laid at his gate, afflicted with ulcers, read more. and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table; but the dogs also came and licked his ulcers. And the poor man died, and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham from afar, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he called and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in pain in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you received your good things in your life, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in pain. And besides all this, there is a great chasm fixed between us and you, so that those wishing to pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass from thence to us. And he said, I beseech you then, father, send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, to testify fully to them, that they may not also come to this place of torment But Abraham said, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. But he said, No, father Abraham, but if one went to them from the dead they would change their minds. But he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, they would not be persuaded if one arose from the dead.
Two men went up to the temple to pray; one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee, standing by himself, offered this prayer; God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican; read more. I fast twice a week; I tithe all I acquire. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote on his breast, saying, God, be propitious to me a sinner. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than that; for every one that exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.
And Zaccheus stood up and said to the Lord, Behold, half of my property, Lord, I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of any thing, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, To-day has salvation come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.
And all the multitudes who had come together to this spectacle, beholding what was done, returned beating their breasts.
All things existed through him, and without him not one thing existed, which existed. In him was life, and the life was the light of men;
for the law was given by Moses, the grace and truth were by Jesus Christ.
Jesus answered and said to him, I tell you most truly, unless one has been born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is a spirit.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that every one believing in him may not perish but have eternal life.
He that believes in him is not judged; but he that believes not has been judged already; because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father seeks such to worship him.
Therefore I said to you, You shall die in your sins; for if you believe not that I am [the Christ], you shall die in your sins.
If, therefore, the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
Who of you convicts me of a sin? If I say the truth, why do you not believe me?
I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,
You call me Teacher and Lord; and you say well, for I am.
I give you a new commandment to love another, as I have loved you that you also should love one another.
For I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go and shall prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am you may also be.
Yet a little while and the world beholds me no more; but you shall behold me; because I live, you shall live also.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away; and every branch that bears fruit he trims, that it may bear more fruit. read more. You are now pure, by means of the word which I have spoken to you; continue in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it continues in the vine, so you cannot, unless you continue in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that continues in me and I in him, this man bears much fruit; for separated from me, you can do nothing. If any one continues not in me he is cast without as a branch, and is withered; and they collect them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you continue in me, and my words continue in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be [given] you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you; continue in my love. If you keep my commandments you shall continue in my love, as I have kept my Father's commandments and continue in his love.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no pretext for their sin. He that hates me, hates my Father also. read more. If I had not done among them the works which no other one has done, they would not have had sin; but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.
They shall put you out of the synagogues; but the hour is coming when every one that kills you will think he renders God a service.
And when he has come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
And when he has come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me;
These things have I told you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you shall have affliction; but be of good courage, I have overcome the world.
I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gayest me to do.
Father, what thou hast given me, I will that they should be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me; because thou didst love me before the foundation of the world;
They went therefore from the presence of the Sanhedrim, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for the name of [Christ];
for it had not yet fallen on any of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
They then having fully testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the good news to many villages of the Samaritans. And an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go to the south, by the way that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza; this is a wilderness. read more. And he arose and went. And behold a man, an Ethiopian eunuch, an officer of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to his chariot. And Philip running forward heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and he said, Do you really understand what you read? And he said [No]; for how can I unless some one teaches me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. And the passage of Scripture which he was reading, was this; As a sheep is led to slaughter, and as a lamb before one that shears him is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away; and who will tell of his generation? for his life was taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered and said to Philip, Of whom I pray you does the prophet say this? of himself or of some other one? And Philip opening his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him the good news of Jesus. And as they went on the way they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said, Behold water; what hinders me from being baptized? (Added verse not retained in Sawyer) And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they went up from the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more; for he went his way rejoicing.
And when Peter came in Cornelius met him, and falling down at his feet worshipped him. But Peter raised him up saying, Arise, I also am a man.
PAUL, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart to the gospel of God,??2 which he promised by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,??3 concerning his Son born of the posterity of David as to the flesh,
For not that which is external is the Jew, nor is that which is external in the flesh circumcision. But that which is in secret is the Jew, and circumcision of the heart is in the spirit not in the writing, the commendation of which is not of men but of God.
Do we then abrogate the law by the faith? By no means; but we establish the law.
Having been justified therefore by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have been introduced into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
for scarcely for a righteous man will one die, but for a good man some one perhaps would even dare to die; but God commends his love to us, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us;
For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin.
for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and death.
But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. And if any man has not the spirit of Christ he is not his.
For whom he foreknew, he also predestinated to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he may be a first-born among many brothers;
But in all these things we more than conquer, through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, read more. nor height, nor depth, nor any other creation, shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let every soul be subject to the superior powers. For there is no power except from God, and the [powers] which exist have been ordained by God. So that he who resists the power resists the ordinance of God; and those who resist shall receive judgment on themselves. read more. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Will you not fear the power? Do good, and you shall have praise from it; for [the power] is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, fear; for it bears not the sword in vain; for it is God's minister of justice for punishment to him that does evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only on account of punishment, but also on account of conscience. For on this account also you pay taxes; for [magistrates] are servants of God attending constantly to this same thing. Pay to all their dues; a tax to whom a tax is due, a toll to whom a toll is due, fear to whom fear, and honor to whom honor.
Who are you that judge another man's servant? To his master he stands or falls; and he shall be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
For we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, that each one may receive through the body for what he has done, whether it is good or evil.
for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sakes he became poor, though rich, that you by his poverty might be rich.
For the works of the flesh are manifest, which are, fornication, impurity, lewdness, idolatry, magic, enmities, strife, envy, anger, contentions, dissensions, heresies, read more. murders, drunkenness, revellings and the like, of which I tell you before, as I have also previously told you, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.
meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.
Brothers, if a man is overtaken with any fault, do you that are spiritual restore such a one with a spirit of meekness, considering yourself; lest you also be tried. Bear one another's burdens, and so perform the law of Christ.
for every one shall bear his own burden.
And you being dead in trespasses and sins,??2 in which you formerly walked according to the life of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit which now operates in the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, performing the wishes of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as others; but God who is rich in mercy, on account of his great love with which he loved us,??5 even when we were dead in sins he made us alive with Christ,??y grace are you saved,
and raised us up and seated us together with Christ Jesus in the heavenly worlds, that he might show in the ages to come the transcendent riches of his grace in goodness to us by Jesus Christ.
the enmity, and abolished by his flesh the law of commandments [consisting] of ordinances, that of the two he might create in himself one new man, making peace,
Let him that has stolen steal no more, but rather let him labor, doing that which is good with his hands, that he may have to give to him that needs. Let no evil word proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good for useful edification, that it may afford benefit to those that hear.
Let wives [be subject] to their husbands as to the Lord,
And, masters, do the same things to them, forbearing threatening, knowing also that their master and yours is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him.
because it was given to you in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him but also to suffer for him,
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
And so, my beloved, as you always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for God works in you both to will and to work of his good pleasure.
But for the same reason also I consider all things to be a loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them worthless that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having my righteousness by the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God by the faith, read more. that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the participation of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, that I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have been already made perfect; but I follow on that I may attain that for which also I was arrested by Christ. I consider not myself, brothers, to have attained it; but this one thing I do; forgetting the things behind, and reaching forward to those before, I press forward to the mark for the prize of the high call of God in Christ Jesus.
whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;
IF you, therefore, have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God; employ your minds on things above, not on things on the earth. read more. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God; when Christ your life shall be made manifest, then shall you also be made manifest in glory. Put to death, therefore, your members which are on the earth, fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry, for which comes the wrath of God. In which also you walked formerly when you lived in them; but now do you put away also all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, vile conversation out of your mouth; lie not one to another; put off the old man with his doings,
Put on, therefore, as elect and beloved saints of God, hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if any one has a charge against any, as Christ forgave you, so [do] you also, read more. and in addition to all these [put on] love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for which you have been called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching with all wisdom, and admonishing one another, with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God, and whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the God [and] Father through him. Wives, be subject to the husbands, as is fit in the Lord.
Masters, render to your servants what is just and equal, knowing also that you have a master in heaven.
Speak things which become sound teaching. That the aged men be sober, grave, of sound mind, sound in faith, in love, in patience;
teaching us, that denying impiety and worldly desires we should live soberly, and righteously, and piously in the present life,
teaching us, that denying impiety and worldly desires we should live soberly, and righteously, and piously in the present life, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, read more. who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all wickedness, and purify for himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
how shall we escape who have neglected so great a salvation? which began to be spoken by the Lord, and was affirmed to us by those who heard,
For both he that sanctifies and the sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, I will declare thy name to my brothers, in the midst of the assembly will I sing to thee. read more. And again, I will trust in him. And again, Behold me and the children which God gave me. Since then the children have partaken of blood and flesh, he in like manner also partook of them, that through death he might destroy him that has the power of death, that is the devil, and liberate those who all their life were subjects of servitude to the fear of death. For indeed he helped not angels, but he helped the descendants of Abraham. Whence he ought in all things to be assimilated to the brothers, that he may be a merciful and faithful chief priest as to things relating to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he has himself suffered, having been tried, he is able to help the tried.
For we have not a chief priest who cannot sympathise with our infirmities, but one tried in all respects as we are, without sin.
For those once enlightened and having tasted of the heavenly gift and been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and having tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the life to come, read more. and having fallen away, it is impossible again to renew to a change of mind, they having crucified again and exposed to shame the Son of God. But the land which drinks in the rain that often falls on it, and produces plants beneficial to those by whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God; but that which produces thorns and thistles is disapproved, and is nigh to a curse, the end of which is to be burned.
having the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on every side with gold, in which were the golden vase that had the manna and Aaron's rod that budded and the tables of the covenant,
which [entrance] he consecrated for us a new and living way through the vail, that is his flesh,
For if we sin willingly after having received the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer a sacrifice left for sins,
But remember the former days, in which having been enlightened you endured a great conflict with sufferings, partly in being made a spectacle by reproaches and afflictions, and partly being companions of those so treated. read more. For you sympathized with those in bonds, and received with joy the plunder of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession, and one that endures.
And forget not beneficence and liberality; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greeting.
Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruit of his creatures.
Pure religion and undefiled with the God and Father is this, to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world.
and for the same purpose also, giving all diligence add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge,
Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and every one who loves the Father loves also the Son who is born to him.
Let him that has an ear hear what the Spirit says to the churches; To him that conquers will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white token, and on the token a new name engraved, which no one knows but he that receives it.
Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out of it no more, and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for thou wast killed and hast redeemed to God with thy blood [men] from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
and shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads.
And I am John who heard and saw these thing; and when I heard and when I saw I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel that showed me these things. And he said to me, See [that you do it] not; for I am your fellow servant and of your brothers the prophets and of those that keep the words of this book; worship God.