It is you who are the Salt of the earth; but, if the salt should lose its strength, what will you use to restore its saltiness? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown away, and trampled underfoot.

Of all this Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables; indeed to them he used never to speak at all except in parables,

With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his Message, as far as they were able to receive it;

And to them he never used to speak except in parables; but in private to his own disciples he explained everything.

"None of you must prevent the man," answered Jesus, "for no one will use my name in working a miracle, and yet find it easy to speak evil of me.

Salt is good, but, if the salt should lose its saltiness, what will you use to season it? You must have salt in yourselves, and live at peace with one another."

Now, at the Feast, Pilate used to grant the people the release of any one prisoner whom they might ask for.

All of whom used to accompany Jesus when he was in Galilee, and attend on him--besides many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

And immediately Zechariah recovered his voice and the use of his tongue, and began to bless God.

Every year the child's parents used to go to Jerusalem at the Passover Festival.

And when some soldiers on active service asked "And we--what are we to do?" he said: "Never use violence, or exact anything by false accusation; and be content with your pay."

But Jesus used to withdraw to lonely places and pray.

When the seventy-two returned, they exclaimed joyfully: "Master, even the demons submit to us when we use your name."

Yes, salt is good; but, if the salt itself should lose its strength, what shall be used to season it?

But when those who were round Jesus saw what was going to happen, they exclaimed: "Master, shall we use our swords?"

Surely you are not greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us the well, and used to drink from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle!"

Upon this his neighbors, and those who had formerly known him by sight as a beggar, exclaimed: "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?"

Then Jesus again crossed the Jordan to the place where John used to baptize at first, and stayed there some time, during which many people came to see him.

He said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and, being in charge of the purse, used to take what was put in it.

"In truth I tell you," he continued, "when you were young, you used to put on your own girdle, and walk wherever you wished; but, when you have grown old, you will have to stretch out your hands, while some one else puts on your girdle, and takes you where you do not wish."

All who became believers in Christ held everything for the common use;

This man used to be set down every day at the gate of the Temple called 'the Beautiful Gate,' to beg of those who went in.

And, when they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, they were utterly astonished and amazed at what had happened to him.

The whole body of those who had become believers in Christ were of one heart and mind. Not one of them claimed any of his goods as his own, but everything was held for the common use.

Every one, high and low, paid attention to him. 'This man,' they used to say, 'must be that Power of God which men call "The Great Power."'

In the streets of Lystra there used to sit a man who had no power in his feet; he had been lame from his birth, and had never walked.

For in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets--'His offspring, too, are we.'

An attempt was made by some itinerant Jews, who were exorcists, to use the Name of the Lord Jesus over those who had wicked spirits in them. "I adjure you," they would say, "by the Jesus, whom Paul preaches."

'Lord,' I answered, 'these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, in Synagogue after Synagogue, those who believed in you;

He was hoping, too, for a bribe from Paul, and so he used to send for him frequently and talk with him.

That, I say, is why God abandoned them to degrading passions. Even the women among them perverted the natural use of their bodies to the unnatural;

Do we, then, use this faith to abolish Law? Heaven forbid! No, we establish Law.

Sin took advantage of the Commandment to deceive me, and used it to bring about my Death.

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.

Has not the potter absolute power over his clay, so that out of the same lump he makes one thing for better, and another for common, use?

Whatever is used by those who build upon this foundation, whether gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,

But come to you I will, and that soon, if it please the Lord; and then I shall find out, not what words these men use who are so puffed up, but what power they possess;

Such some of you used to be; but you washed yourselves clean. You became Christ's People! you were pronounced righteous through the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the Spirit of our God!

And those who use the good things of the world as using them sparingly; for this world as we see it is passing away.

What is my reward, then? To present the Good News free of all cost, and so make but a sparing use of the rights which it gives me.

and all drank the same supernatural water, for they used to drink from a supernatural rock which followed them, and that rock was the Christ.

He who, when speaking, uses the gift of 'tongues' is speaking, not to men, but to God, for no one understands him; yet in spirit he is speaking of hidden truths.

He who, when speaking, uses the gift of 'tongues' builds up his own faith, while he who preaches builds up the faith of the Church.

Therefore let him who, when speaking, uses the gift of 'tongues' pray for ability to interpret them.

If, when praying, I use the gift of 'tongues,' my spirit indeed prays, but my mind is a blank.

Thank God, I use the gift of 'tongues' more than any of you.

So, when the whole Church meets, if all present use the gift of 'tongues,' and some men who are without the gift, or who are unbelievers, come in, will not they say that you are mad?

While, if all those present use the gift of preaching, and an unbeliever, or a man without the gift, comes in, he is convinced of his sinfulness by them all, he is called to account by them all;

If any of you use the gift of 'tongues,' not more than two, or at the most three, should do so-each speaking in his turn-and some one should interpret them.

And by means of which you are being saved. I would remind you of the very words that I used in telling it to you, since you are still holding fast to it, and since it was not in vain that you became believers in Christ.

All thanks to God, who, through our union with the Christ, leads us in one continual triumph, and uses us to spread the sweet odor of the knowledge of him in every place.

I am not laying a command upon you, but I am making use of the earnestness shown by others to test the genuineness of your affection.

What, then, you ask, was the use of the Law? It was a later addition, to make men conscious of their wrong-doings, and intended to last only till the coming of that 'offspring' to whom the promise had been made; and it was delivered through angels by a mediator.

For all the things referred to in them cease to exist when used. You are following mere human directions and instructions.

Never at any time, as you know, did we use the language of flattery, or make false professions in order to hide selfish aims. God will bear witness to that.

You will not have forgotten, Brothers, our labor and toil. Night and day we used to work at our trades, so as not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you God's Good News.

Indeed, you know that, like a father with his own children, we used to encourage and comfort every one of you, and solemnly plead with you;

Do not you remember how, when I was with you, I used to speak to you of all this?

Nor did we eat any one's bread without paying for it. Night and day, laboring and toiling, we used to work at our trades, so as not to be a burden upon any of you.

They want to be Teachers of the Law, and yet do not understand either the words they use, or the subjects on which they speak so confidently.

We know, of course, that the Law is excellent, when used legitimately,

though I once used to blaspheme, and to persecute, and to insult. Yet mercy was shown me, because I acted in ignorance, while still an unbeliever;

who will make use of the hypocrisy of lying teachers. These men's consciences are seared,

Yet God's firm foundation still stands unmoved, and it bears this inscription-- 'THE LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS'; and this-- 'LET ALL THOSE WHO USE THE NAME OF THE LORD TURN AWAY FROM WICKEDNESS.'

Now in a large house there are not only things of gold and silver, but also others of wood and earthenware, some for better and some for common use.

If, then, a man has escaped from the pollution of such errors as I have mentioned, he will be like a thing kept for better use, set apart, serviceable to its owner, ready for any good purpose.

How true that saying is! And it is on these subjects that I desire you to lay especial stress, so that those who have learned to trust in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing good. Such subjects are excellent in themselves, and of real use to mankind.

To use the words of Scripture-- 'If to-day you hear God's voice, harden not your hearts, as when Israel provoked me.'

And in the same way he also sprinkled with the blood the Tabernacle and all the things that were used in public worship.

They were stoned to death, they were tortured, they were swan asunder, they were put to the sword; they wandered about clothed in the skins of sheep or goats, destitute, persecuted, ill-used--

Take care that no one fails to use the loving help of God, 'that no bitterness is allowed to take root and spring up, and cause trouble,' and so poison the whole community.

Whatever the gift that each has received, use it in the service of others, as good stewards of the varied bounty of God.

But these men malign whatever they do not understand; while they use such things as they know by instinct (like the animals that have no reason) for their own corruption.

how they used to say to you-- 'As time draws to an end, there will be scoffers, who will be led by their godless passions.'