"Let it be so for the present," Jesus answered, "since it is fitting for us thus to satisfy every claim of religion." Upon this, John consented.

Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to do away with them, but to complete them.

Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to do away with them, but to complete them. For I tell you, until the heavens and the earth disappear, not even the smallest letter, nor one stroke of a letter, shall disappear from the Law until all is done.

For I tell you, until the heavens and the earth disappear, not even the smallest letter, nor one stroke of a letter, shall disappear from the Law until all is done.

For I tell you, until the heavens and the earth disappear, not even the smallest letter, nor one stroke of a letter, shall disappear from the Law until all is done. Whoever, therefore, breaks one of these commandments, even the least of them, and teaches others to do so, will be the least- esteemed in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps them, and teaches others to do so, will be esteemed great in the Kingdom of Heaven. read more. Indeed I tell you that, unless your religion is above that of the Teachers of the Law, and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You have heard that to our ancestors it was said--'Thou shalt not commit murder,' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to answer for it to the Court.' I, however, say to you that any one who cherishes anger against his brother shall be liable to answer for it to the Court; and whoever pours contempt upon his brother shall be liable to answer for it to the High Council, while whoever calls down curses upon him shall be liable to answer for it in the fiery Pit. Therefore, when presenting your gift at the altar, if even there you remember that your brother has some grievance against you, Leave your gift there, before the altar, go and be reconciled to your brother, first, then come and present your gift. Be ready to make friends with your opponent, even when you meet him on your way to the court; for fear that he should hand you over to the judge, and the judge to his officer, and you should be thrown into prison. I tell you, you will not come out until you have paid the last penny. You have heard that it was said--'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' I, however, say to you that any one who looks at a woman with an impure intention has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye is a snare to you, take it out and throw it away. It would be best for you to lose one part of your body, and not to have the whole of it thrown into the Pit. And, if your right hand is a snare to you, cut it off and throw it away. It would be best for you to lose one part of your body, and not to have the whole of it go down to the Pit. It was also said--'Let any one who divorces his wife serve her with a notice of separation.' I, however, say to you that any one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of her unchastity, leads to her committing adultery; while any one who marries her after her divorce is guilty of adultery. Again, you have heard that to our ancestors it was said--'Thou shalt not break an oath, but thou shall keep thine oaths as a debt due to the Lord.' I, however, say to you that you must not swear at all, either by Heaven, since that is God's throne, Or by the earth, since that is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the Great King. Nor should you swear by your head, since you cannot make a single hair either white or black. Let your words be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from what is wrong. You have heard that it was said--'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' I, however, say to you that you must not resist wrong; but, if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also; And, when any one wants to go to law with you, to take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; And, if any one compels you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to him who asks of you; and, from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away. You have heard that it was said--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy.' I, however, say to you--Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, That you may become Sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for he causes his sun to rise upon bad and good alike, and sends rain upon the righteous and upon the unrighteous. For, if you love only those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax-gatherers do this! And, if you show courtesy to your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Even the Gentiles do this! You, then, must become perfect--as your heavenly Father is perfect.

By the time that Jesus had finished speaking, the crowd was filled with amazement at his teaching.

And then Jesus said to him: "Be careful not to say a word to any one, but go and show yourself to the Priest, and offer the gift directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

And have not you read in the law that, on the Sabbath, the priest in the Temple break the Sabbath and yet are not guilty? Here, however, I tell you, there is something greater than the Temple!

But Jesus said to them: "Which of you, if he had only one sheep, and that sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath, would not lay hold of it and pull it out?

But, if it is by the help of the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God must already be upon you. How, again, can any one get into a strong man's house and carry off his goods, without first securing him? And not till then will he plunder his house. read more. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not help me to gather is scattering.

At the Judgment the Queen of the South will rise up with the present generation, and will condemn it, because she came from the very ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and here is more than a Solomon!

"I was not sent," replied Jesus, "to any one except the lost sheep of Israel."

Still, that we may not shock them, go and throw a line into the Sea; take the first fish that rises, open its mouth, and you will find in it a piece of money. Take that, and give it to the collectors for both of us."

Presently some Pharisees came up to him, and, to test him, said: "Has a man the right to divorce his wife for every cause?" "Have not you read," replied Jesus, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' read more. And said--'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the man and his wife shall become one'? So that they are no longer two, but one. What God himself, then, has yoked together man must not separate." "Why, then," they said, "did Moses direct that a man should 'serve his wife with a notice of separation and divorce her'?" "Moses, owing to the hardness of your hearts," answered Jesus, "permitted you to divorce your wives, but that was not so at the beginning. But I tell you that any one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of her unchastity, and marries another woman, is guilty of adultery."

Just as the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they collected together. Then one of them, a Student of the Law, to test him, asked this question-- read more. "Teacher, what is the great commandment in the Law?" His answer was: "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.' This is the great first commandment. The second, which is like it, is this--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

For this is my Covenant blood, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

One Sabbath, as Jesus was walking through the cornfields, his disciples began to pick the ears of wheat as they went along. "Look!" the Pharisees said to him, "why are they doing what is not allowed on the Sabbath?" read more. "Have you never read," answered Jesus, "what David did when he was in want and hungry, he and his companions-- How he went into the House of God, in the time of Abiathar the High Priest, and ate 'the consecrated bread,' which only the priests are allowed to eat, and gave some to his comrades as well?" Then Jesus added: "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath;

Then Jesus added: "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

And they watched Jesus closely, to see if he would cure the man on the Sabbath, so that they might have a charge to bring against him.

But vainly do they worship me, For they teach but the precepts of men.' You neglect God's commandments and hold to the traditions of men. read more. Wisely do you set aside God's commandments," he exclaimed, "to keep your own traditions! For while Moses said 'Honor thy father and thy mother,' and 'Let him who reviles his father or mother suffer death,' You say 'If a man says to his father or mother "Whatever of mine might have been of service to you is Korban"' (which means 'Given to God')-- Why, then you do not allow him to do anything further for his father or mother! In this way you nullify the words of God by your traditions, which you hand down; and you do many similar things." Then Jesus called the people to him again, and said: "Listen to me, all of you, and mark my words. There is nothing external to a man, which by going into him can 'defile' him; but the things that come out from a man are the things that defile him." OMITTED TEXT When Jesus went indoors, away from the crowd, his disciples began questioning him about this saying. "What, do even you understand so little?" exclaimed Jesus. "Do not you see that there is nothing external to a man, which by going into a man, can 'defile' him, Because it does not pass into his heart, but into his stomach, and is afterwards got rid of?--in saying this Jesus pronounced all food 'clean.'

Because it does not pass into his heart, but into his stomach, and is afterwards got rid of?--in saying this Jesus pronounced all food 'clean.' "It is what comes out from a man," he added, "that defiles him, read more. For it is from within, out of the hearts of men, that there come evil thoughts--unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, Greed, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, haughtiness, folly; All these wicked things come from within, and do defile a man."

But Jesus remained silent, and made no answer. A second time the High Priest questioned him. "Are you," he asked, "the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

Eight days after the birth of the child, when it was time to circumcise him, he received the name Jesus--the name given him by the angel before his conception.

The book given him was that of the Prophet Isaiah; and Jesus opened the book and found the place where it says-- 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, For he has consecrated me to bring Good News to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and restoration of sight to the blind, To set the oppressed at liberty, read more. To proclaim the accepted year of the Lord.' Then, closing the book and returning it to the attendant, he sat down. The eyes of all in the Synagogue were fixed upon him, And Jesus began: "This very day this passage has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Just then a Student of the Law came forward to test Jesus further. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do if I am to 'gain Immortal Life'?" "What is said in the Law?" answered Jesus. "What do you read there?" read more. His reply was--"'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thou dost thyself.'" "You have answered right," said Jesus; "do that, and you shall live." But the man, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus: "And who is my neighbor?" To which Jesus replied: "A man was once going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him of everything, and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. As it chanced, a priest was going down by that road. He saw the man, but passed by on the opposite side. A Levite, too, did the same; he came up to the spot, but, when he saw the man, passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan, traveling that way, came upon the man, and, when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, dressing them with oil and wine, and then put him on his own mule, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out four shillings and gave them to the inn-keeper. 'Take care of him,' he said, 'and whatever more you may spend I will myself repay you on my way back.' Now which, do you think, of these three men," asked Jesus, "proved himself a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" "The one that took pity on him," was the answer; on which Jesus said: "Go and do the same yourself."

As Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee asked him to breakfast with him, and Jesus went in and took his place at table. The Pharisee noticed, to his astonishment, that Jesus omitted the ceremonial washing before breakfast. read more. But the Master said to him: "You Pharisees do, it is true, clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside you yourselves are filled with greed and wickedness. Fools! did not the maker of the outside make the inside too? Only give away what is in them in charity, and at once you have the whole clean.

But this woman, a daughter of Abraham, who has been kept in bondage by Satan for now eighteen years, ought not she to have been released from her bondage on the Sabbath?" As he said this, his opponents all felt ashamed; but all the people rejoiced to see all the wonderful things that he was doing.

The Law and the Prophets sufficed until the time of John. Since then the Good News of the Kingdom of God has been told, and everybody has been forcing his way into it.

For, I tell you, that passage of Scripture must be fulfilled in me, which says--'He was counted among the godless'; indeed all that refers to me is finding its fulfillment."

Then, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them all through the Scriptures the passages that referred to himself.

For the Law was given through Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ.

For the Law was given through Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ.

And, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

The man was cured immediately, and took up his mat and began to walk about. Now it was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured: "This is the Sabbath; you must not carry your mat." read more. "The man who cured me," he answered, "said to me 'Take up your mat and walk about.'" "Who was it," they asked, "that said to you 'Take up your mat and walk about'?" But the man who had been restored did not know who it was; for Jesus had moved away, because there was a crowd there. Afterwards Jesus found the man in the Temple Courts, and said to him: "You are cured now; do not sin again, for fear that something worse may befall you." The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had cured him. And that was why the Jews began to persecute Jesus--because he did things of this kind on the Sabbath. But Jesus replied: "My Father works to this very hour, and I work also." This made the Jews all the more eager to kill him, because not only was he doing away with the Sabbath, but he actually called God his own Father--putting himself on an equality with God. So Jesus made this further reply: "In truth I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself; he does only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does, the Son does also. For the Father loves his Son, and shows him everything that he is doing; and he will show him still greater things--so that you will be filled with wonder.

It is said in the Prophets--'And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who is taught by the Father and learns from him comes to me.

I am the Living Bread that has come down from Heaven. If any one eats of this Bread, he will live for ever; and the Bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I will give for the Life of the world."

Are you greater than our ancestor Abraham, who died? And the Prophets died too. Whom do you make yourself out to be?"

"The man cannot be from God," said some of the Pharisees, "for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible," retorted others, "for a bad man to give signs like this?"

So the Jews again called the man who had been blind, and said to him: "Give God the praise; we know that this is a bad man."

"Are there not," replied Jesus, "these words in your Law--'I said "Ye are gods"'?

One of them, however, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said to them:

In truth I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains solitary; but, if it dies, it becomes fruitful.

"We," replied the people, "have learned from the Law that the 'Christ is to remain for ever'; how is it, then, that you say that the Son of Man must be 'lifted up' Who is this 'Son of Man'?"

And so is fulfilled what is said in their Law--'They hated me without cause.'

"But we," replied the Jews, "have a Law, under which he deserves death for making himself out to be the Son of God."

I would, therefore, have you know, brothers, that through Jesus forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you,

What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation? If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God. read more. For what are the words of Scripture? 'Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.' Now wages are regarded as due to the man who works, not as a favor, but as a debt; While, as for the man who does not rely upon his obedience, but has faith in him who can pronounce the godless righteous, his faith is regarded by God as righteousness.

Law was introduced in order that offences might be multiplied. But, where sins were multiplied, the loving-kindness of God was lavished the more,

What are we to say, then? That Law and sin are the same thing? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, I should not have learned what sin is, had not it been for Law. If the Law did not say 'Thou shalt not covet,' I should not know what it is to covet. But sin took advantage of the Commandment to arouse in me every form of covetousness, for where there is no consciousness of Law sin shows no sign of life. read more. There was a time when I myself, unconscious of Law, was alive; but when the Commandment was brought home to me, sin sprang into life, while I died! The very Commandment that should have meant Life I found to result in Death! Sin took advantage of the Commandment to deceive me, and used it to bring about my Death. And so the Law is holy, and each Commandment is also holy, and just, and good.

And so the Law is holy, and each Commandment is also holy, and just, and good. Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is.

Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is. We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am earthly-sold into slavery to Sin. read more. I do not understand my own actions. For I am so far from habitually doing what I want to do, that I find myself doing the very thing that I hate. But when I do what I want not to do, I am admitting that the Law is right. This being so, the action is no longer my own, but that of Sin which is within me. I know that there is nothing good in me-I mean in my earthly nature. For, although it is easy for me to want to do right, to act rightly is not easy. I fail to do the good thing that I want to do, but the bad thing that I want not to do-that I habitually do. But, when I do the very thing that I want not to do, the action is no longer my own, but that of Sin which is within me. This, then, is the law that I find-When I want to do right, wrong presents itself! At heart I delight in the Law of God; But throughout my body I see a different law, one which is in conflict with the law accepted by my reason, and which endeavors to make me a prisoner to that law of Sin which exists throughout my body. Miserable man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body that is bringing me to this Death?

For through your union with Christ Jesus, the Law of the life- giving Spirit has set you free from the Law of Sin and Death. What Law could not do, in so far as our earthly nature weakened its action, God did, by sending his own Son, with a nature resembling our sinful nature, to atone for sin. He condemned sin in that earthly nature,

While Israel, which was in search of a Law which would ensure righteousness, failed to discover one.

For, in their ignorance of the Divine Righteousness, and in their eagerness to set up a righteousness of their own, they refused to accept with submission the Divine Righteousness.

To those who are married my direction is-yet it is not mine, but the Master's-that a woman is not to leave her husband

No, we have renounced the secrecy prompted by shame, refusing to adopt crafty ways, or to tamper with God's Message, and commending ourselves to every man's conscience, in the sight of God, by our exhibition of the Truth.

I, indeed, through Law became dead to Law, in order to live for God.

Does that set the Law in opposition to God's promises? Heaven forbid! For, if a Law had been given capable of bestowing Life, then righteousness would have actually owed its existence to Law.

Thus the Law has proved a guide to lead us to Christ, in order that we may be pronounced righteous as the result of faith.

My point is this--As long as the heir is under age, there is no difference between him and a slave, though he is master of the whole estate. He is subject to the control of guardians and stewards, during the period for which his father has power to appoint them. read more. And so is it with us; when we were under age, as it were, we were slaves to the puerile teaching of this world; But, when the full time came, God sent his Son--born a woman's child, born subject to Law--

But, when the full time came, God sent his Son--born a woman's child, born subject to Law-- To ransom those who were subject to Law, so that we might take our position as sons.

Bear one another's burdens, and so carry out the Law of the Christ.

Any righteousness that I have being, not the righteousness that results from Law, but the righteousness which comes through faith in Christ--the righteousness which is derived from God and is founded on faith.

Any righteousness that I have being, not the righteousness that results from Law, but the righteousness which comes through faith in Christ--the righteousness which is derived from God and is founded on faith.

Do not let any one defraud you of the reality by affecting delight in so-called 'humility' and angel-worship. Such a man busies himself with his visions, and without reason is rendered conceited by his merely human intellect.

While the faithful service of Moses in the whole House of God was that of a servant, whose duty was to bear testimony to a Message still to come,

For that was only a type, to continue down to the present time; and, in keeping with it, both gifts and sacrifices are offered, though incapable of satisfying the conscience of the worshiper;