"Do not suppose that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I am come not to destroy, but to fulfil. "In solemn truth I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a comma, will pass from the Law until all has taken place. read more. "So whoever breaks one of these least commandments, and teaches others to break them, will be least in the kingdom of heaven. But he who keeps them and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. "For I assure you that unless your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not find entrance into the kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to the ancients, "Thou shall not commit murder, and "He who commits murder shall be liable to condemnation by the court; but I say to you that he who becomes angry with his brother shall be liable to condemnation by the court; and he who says to his brother 'Raca,' shall be liable to condemnation by the Sanhedrin, while he who curses his brother shall be liable to the Gehenna of Fire. "If therefore when you are offering your gift upon the altar, and there remember that your brother has a grievance against you, "leave there your gift before the altar, and go and make friends with your brother, first of all; then come and offer your gift. "Come to terms with your opponent quickly, while you are yet with him on the way [to the court], to prevent your opponent from handing you over to the judge, and the judge to the jailer, and so you be thrown into prison. "I tell you truly that you would certainly not get out from there until you had paid back the last cent. "You have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And if your eye, your right eye, entices you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to lose one of your bodily organs, than to have your whole body go down into the pit. And if your right hand entices you into sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of your bodily organs, than to have your whole body go down into the pit. "It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of separation. But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her an adulteress, and whoever marries her when so divorced, commits adultery. "Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You must not forswear yourselves, but must perform your vows to the Lord. "But I say to you, swear not at all; neither by the sky, for it is God's throne; "nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. "Nor must you swear by your head, since you cannot make one hair white or black. "But let your word be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the Evil One. "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. "But I tell you not to retaliate the injury; but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also; "and if any one wants to go to law with you and takes away your coat, let him take your cloak also. "Whoever impresses you to go one mile, go two miles with him. "Give to him who asks, and from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away. "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. "So you will become sons of your heavenly Father; for he makes his sun to rise upon sinners as well as saints, and sends rain upon the unjust and the just. "For if you love only those who love you, what reward have you? "Even the tax-gatherers do that, do they not? And if you show courtesy to your brother only, what are you doing more than others? Even the Gentiles do that, do they not? "You then must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

"You then must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

"You then must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

"You then must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

"You then must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

"Therefore everything that you would have men do to you, do you also the same to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Just then Peter came to him, and asked him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?" "I do not tell you 'till seven times,'" answered Jesus, "but till seventy times seven.

"If you want to be perfect," said Jesus, "go, sell your property, give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

As he started to go forth into the road, a man came running up to him, and knelt down before him. "Good Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him. "Why do you call me 'good'? No one is good save one, God himself. read more. You know the commandments. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat, honor your father and mother." "Teacher," he answered, "I have observed all these from my youth." Jesus loved him as he looked at him, and said: "One thing you lack. Go, sell all you have and give to the poor; and you shall have wealth in heaven; and come, follow me." But his face fell at these words, and he went away saddened, for he was one who had great wealth. Then Jesus looked round on his disciples and said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. Jesus looked around and said again to them. "My sons, how hard it is for those who trust in money to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." "Then who can be saved?" they said to themselves astonished beyond measure. When he had looked at them, Jesus said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God." "But we," Peter began to say, "we have left our all and have followed you." "I tell you solemnly," said Jesus, "that there is no man who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's, but shall receive a hundred times as much, now in this present world, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands??nd persecutions with them??nd in the world to come eternal life. But many who are first shall be last, and the last, first."

"You have answered right," said Jesus "do that and you shall live."

A ruler put this question to him. "Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why are you calling me 'good'?" said Jesus to him; "no one is good but God. read more. "You know the commandments. "Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother." "All of these," he replied, "I have kept from my youth up." And receiving this reply, Jesus said to him. "One thing you are still lacking. Sell all that you have and give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." But when he heard these words he became deeply grieved, for he was exceedingly rich. Jesus looked at him and said: "How hard it is for those who have money to enter into the kingdom of God! Why, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." "Who then can be saved?" exclaimed his hearers. "Things that are impossible with men," he answered them, "are possible with God." Then Peter said, "Look! we have left our homes and followed you." And he said to them, "In Solemn truth I tell you that there is no one who, for the sake of the kingdom of God, has left houses, or wife, or brother, or parents, or children, "who shall not certainly receive many times as much in this time, and in the age to come eternal."

Thus, then, sin came into the world through one man, and through sin came death and so death spread to all men, because all had sinned. For prior to the Law, sin actually existed in the world, but sin was not set down to man's account when there was no law. read more. Nevertheless, from Adam to Moses death reigned as king, even over those who had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression. Now Adam is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression; for if through the transgression of that one man the rest on men died, much more did the grace of God and the gift given in his grace in the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow unto the rest of men. And it is not with the free gift as it was through the one that sinned; for the judgment came from one transgression unto condemnation; but the free gift came from many transgressions unto acquittal. For if through the transgression of the one, death reigned as king through the one, much more shall those who receive the overflowing grace and gift of righteousness reign as kings in life through One, through Jesus Christ. It follows then, as through the transgression of one man came condemnation unto all men, even so through the act of righteousness of One came acquittal and life to all men. For just as through the disobedience of one man the rest were made sinners; even so by the obedience of One shall all the rest be made righteous. Now law was brought in so that transgression might abound; but where sin abounded, grace super-abounded; in order that as sin has ruled as king in death, so also grace might rule as king in righteousness which issues in eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord,??urs!

What then shall we say? Shall we continue to abound in sin, in order that grace may come to abound? No indeed; how shall we who have died to sin still go on living in it any longer? read more. For do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Jesus Christ, have been baptized into his death? We have been buried together with him, then, through baptism into his death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we should live in a newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, so we shall also be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection. For this we know, that our old self was crucified with Christ, in order that the slave of sin might be destroyed; so that we should no longer be in slavery to sin??7 for he who is dead is set free from sin.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more; death has no more dominion over him. read more. For the death that he died, he died unto sin once for all; but the life that he lives he is living unto God. Even so count yourselves also to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.

Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this slave of death? Oh, thank God! it is through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself in my will am in thralldom to the law of God; yet in my animal nature I am in thralldom to the law of sin.

But you are not earthly, but spiritual, if indeed the Spirit of God is really dwelling in you. If any one does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Let love be without insincerity. Abhor what is evil; wed yourselves to what is good.

Never owe any one anything save the debt of brotherly love; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law. For the Law which says, Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet, and whatever other commandment there be??s all summed up in this one saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. read more. Love never wrongs his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilment of the Law. Carry out these injunctions because you know the crisis that we are in, that now it is high time for you to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent; The day is at hand. Let is therefore take off the deeds of darkness, Let us put on the armor of light. Let us live honestly, as in the day, Not in reveling and drunkenness, Not in lust and licentiousness, Not is strife and jealousy; But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, And make no provisions for your earthly nature And the gratification of its lusts.

Now I beg you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to speak in accord, all of you, and to have no divisions among you, but to be knit together in a common mind and temper.

Notwithstanding, among those who are mature I do teach philosophy; though not the philosophy of the present age, nor of its rulers who are coming to nought.

As for me, brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual men, but as to creatures of flesh, mere babes in Christ.

Brothers, do not become children in understanding; be babes in malice, but in understanding become mature men.

But the harvest-fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness, and self-control;

And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and appetites. If we are living by the Spirit, let us also keep step in the Spirit.

For this cause I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every fatherhood in heaven and earth is named, read more. praying him to grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in your inmost being; that Christ may make his home in your hearts through your faith; that you may be so deeply rooted and so firmly grounded in love, that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is "the breadth," "the length," "the depth," and "the height," and may know the love of Christ which transcends all knowing, so that you may be filled with all the "plenitude" of God. Now unto him who, according to his might that is at work within us, is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or even think,

Now unto him who, according to his might that is at work within us, is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or even think,

and endeavor to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace. There is one body and one spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling. read more. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

having their understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.

Learn then to imitate God as his beloved children,

Of this I am fully persuaded, that He who has begun a good work in you will go on completing it until the day of Jesus Christ.

for it is God who, in his good-will is ever working in you both will and deed.

I do not say that I have already won, or am already perfect, but I am passing on to lay hold on the prize for which also Christ has laid hold of me.

Let us all then, who are mature Christians, strive for this! God will make this clear to any of you who are striving for other goals;

Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again will I say, rejoice! Let your reasonableness be recognized by every one. The Lord is near you. read more. Do not worry about anything; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if virtue is anything, if honor is anything, be always thinking about these. Put in practise also what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me; and the God of peace shall be with you.

I am strong for everything in Him who gives me strength.

and it is he who has told me of your love for me in the spirit. For this reason from the day I heard of it I have never ceased to pray for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will with every kind of wisdom and spiritual insight;

For this reason from the day I heard of it I have never ceased to pray for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will with every kind of wisdom and spiritual insight; that you may walk worthy of the Lord in every kind of pleasing; that you may be fruitful in every kind of good work, and may increase in the knowledge of God; read more. that you may be strengthened in every kind of strength by the might of his glory for every kind of patience and fortitude with good cheer. I ask that you may give thanks to the Father who has made us fit to receive our share of the heritage of the saints in the light. For he has delivered us out of the dominion of the darkness, and transplanted us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. He is a visible image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him was the universe created, things in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; by him and for him all have been created; and HE IS before all, and in him all things subsist. He is the head of his Body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, in order that in all things he may become preeminent. For in him all the divine fulness chose to dwell; and by him it chose to reconcile all things alike on earth or in heaven to himself; making peace by him, through the blood of his cross. And you, alienated as you once were, hostile at heart in your evil deeds, he has now in his human body reconciled to God by his death, in order that he may bring you into his presence, holy and unblemished and irreproachable. And this he will do if, indeed, you continue in the faith, firmly founded and stedfast, and never moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, and which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, that gospel of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Him I am ever proclaiming, warning every one and teaching every one, in all wisdom; that I may bring every man into his presence, full grown in Christ.

Over them all bind on love, which is the girdle of completeness.

Epaphras, one of yourselves, salutes you, a slave of Christ who is always agonizing for you in his prayers, that you may stand firm, mature, and fully assured in all the will of God.

For it befitted him, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

and by being thus made perfect, he became the source of enduring salvation to all who obey him,

Concerning him I have much to say, and much that is hard to make clear to you, because you have grown dull of hearing.

So let us get beyond the teaching of the elementary doctrines of Christ, and let us be borne along toward what is mature. Let us not be continually laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works,

Now if there were perfection through the Levitical priesthood, (and it was under it that the people received the Law) why was it still necessary for another kind of priest to arise, after the order of Melchizedek, instead of being reckoned according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood changes, of necessity the law also changes. read more. He who is thus described belonged to another tribe, not one member of which has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe of which Moses said nothing concerning the priesthood. And this is yet more abundantly clear if, after the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another Priest, who has become such, not according to the law of a transitory enactment, but according to the energy of an indissoluble life. For the words are in evidence, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For there is a setting aside of a foregoing commandment, because of its weakness and unprofitableness (for the Law brought nothing to perfection); and there is the bringing in of a better hope by which we draw near to God;

For the Law appoints human beings to be high priests, men with all their weakness; but the word of the oath, which was later than the Law, appoints a Son, perfected forevermore.

This is a parable, for the present time, according to which gifts and sacrifices are offered that are not able, as far as conscience is concerned, to perfect the worshiper;

For by one single offering he has perfected forever those whom he is sanctifying.

since it was for us that God had in store some better thing, so that apart from us they should not be perfected.

to the festal assemblage and church of the firstborn, registered in heaven, to a Judge who is God of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

equip you in every good deed for the doing of his will, doing in you what is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory unto the ages of the ages! Amen!

But let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, not lacking in anything.

Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above, and is ever coming down to us from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of eclipse.

But the man who looks closely into the perfect law??he law of liberty??nd continues looking, this man will be blessed in his deed because he is not a hearer who forgets, but a doer who does.

For in many respects we often stumble. If any man never stumbles in speech, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

Him you love, though you have never seen him; in him you ever believe, though even now you see him not, and you are rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory,