Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

32 For God hath included all together in unbelief, that he

might have mercy upon all.

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, 34 and his ways not to be traced! For who hath known the 35 mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or

who hath first given to him; and it shall be given to him 36 again? For of him, and by him, and to him, are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen. CH. XII. I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies

of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God, even your rational service*. 2 and be not fashioned according to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that ye may search out what is the good, and well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

3

For I say, by the favour bestowed on me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man his measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all the 5 members have not the same office; so we, being many,

are one body in Christ, and every one members one of 6 another. Now having free gifts, differing according to the favour bestowed on us, whether prophecy, let us pro7phecy according to the proportion of our faith; or minis8 try, let us attend on our ministry; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation. He that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that presideth, with diligence; he that sheweth pity, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation: abhor that which is 10 evil; cleave to that which is good: in brotherly kindness be tenderly affectioned one to another: in shewing ho

[blocks in formation]

11 nour* go before one another be not slothful in business : 12 be fervent in spirit: serve the Lord † : rejoice in hope: 13 be patient in affliction: persevere in prayer: contribute

to the necessities of the saints: be given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you bless, and curse them 15 not. Rejoice with those that rejoice, and weep with 16 those that weep. Be of the same mind one toward an

other. Mind not high things, but accommodate your17 selves to what are humble f. Be not wise in your own

conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide 18 what is good in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as 19 much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Be

loved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to the anger of God tt for it is written, "Vengeance is 20 mine; I will repay," saith the Lord. If therefore thine

enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou wilt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome by evil; but overcome evil with good. CH. XIII. Let every man be subject to the powers in authority for there is no power but from God; and the 2 powers which exist are appointed of God. He therefore who resisteth the power, resisteth the appointment of God; and those who resist will receive to themselves 3 judgement. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Wouldest thou therefore not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou wilt have

* Or, in shewing honour prevent one another.

+"By being fervent in his spirit. But many good critics prefer zalew, though Mi chaelis rejects it. Tr. by Marsh i. 284. Use opportunity wisely, for good purposes. Watch the fittest seasons for doing good." Dr. Wall. See the quotations in Le Clere on Hammond." Newcome. Griesbach, in his second edition, admits xalgo (the time) into his text. Wakefield translates the verse, “not backward to diligence, of an active mind, serving yourselves of the opportunity."

be led away with the humble, N.

+ “So in Pol, synops. sign. 2. Frid. Schmidii annot. in epist. ad Rom. 8vo. Lipsia, 1777. And Dr. Henry Owen. This sense is confirmed by what follows," Newcome. "Give way to the anger of another." Wakefield.

supreme powers, N. See W.

4 praise from it. For he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid: for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger to execute punishment upon him who 5 doeth evil. Wherefore it is necessary that ye be subject, not only because of punishment, but also because of 6 conscience. For on this account ye pay tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually to 7 this matter. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute, to whom tribute is due; custom, to whom custom; fear, to whom fear; honour, to whom honour.

8

Owe no man any thing, but love to one another for 9 he that loveth another fulfilleth the law. For the commandments, "Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt do no murther, Thou shalt not steal, [Thou shalt not bear false witness,] Thou shalt not covet ;" and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in these words, namely, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour 10 as thyself." Love worketh no ill to our neighbour : love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.

11

:

And we should do this, knowing the time, that now is the hour to awake out of sleep for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed: the night is far spent, the 12 day approacheth: let us therefore lay aside the works of 13 darkness, and let us put on the attire of light. Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revellings and drunkenness, not in debauchery and wantonness, not in 14 strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ; and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil its desires. CH. XIV. Now receive to yourselves him that is weak in the 2 faith; but not for doubtful disputings. One believeth that he may eat all things: but another, who is weak, 3 eateth herbs only. Let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not, judge him that eateth; for God hath received him to himself. 4 Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his

own master he standeth or falleth.

But he shall be

5 established; for God is able to establish him. One man esteemeth one day above another: while another man

esteemeth every day alike.

Let every man be fully perHe who regardeth the day,

6 suaded in his own mind. regardeth it to the Lord; and he who regardeth not the day, to the Lord he regardeth it not. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord; for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth 7 God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and none 8 dieth to himself; but whether we live, we live to the Lord; and whether we die, we die to the Lord

9 ther we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's.

wheFor to

this end Christ [both] died, and lived again, that hẹ might have dominion both over the dead and the living f. 10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou despise thy brother? for we shall all stand before the 11 judgement-seat of Christ. For it is written, “As I live,

'saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every 12 tongue shall praise God." So then every one of us must 13 give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore

judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall, in 14 his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded in, the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself: but if any man esteem any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if thy brother be disquieted because of thy food, thou no longer walkest according to love. Destroy not him 16 by thy food, for whom Christ died. Let not then your 17 good be evil-spoken of. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy 18 in the holy spirit. For he that in these things serveth Christ, is well-pleasing to God, and approved by men.

* and rose again, and revived, that, etc. R. T.

+ authority to raise the dead to life, and to command the obedience of the living. Dr. Taylor.

19 So then let us follow after the things which make for

20

peace, and for the edifying of one another. For a kind of food, destroy not the work of God. All things in

deed are pure; but it is evil in that man who eateth so as 21 to cause offence. It is right neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do any thing by which thy brother 22 stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Thou hast faith. Have it with respect to thyself, in the sight of God. Happy is he who condemneth not himself in that, 23 which he alloweth himself to do. But he who doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not from faith: for whatsoever is not from faith is sin.

25 XVI. *Now unto him that is able to establish you, (according to the gospel which I teach, and to my preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revealed mystery, which 26 was kept secret under the ancient dispensations, but hath now been made manifest, and, by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, hath been made known to all the gentiles for 27 their obedience to the faith ;) to the only wise God, be glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever. Amen.

CH. XV. Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities 2 of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every

one of us please his neighbour for his good, to edification. 3 For Christ also pleased not himself; but, as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached thee fell on 4 me." For whatsoever things were formerly written, were written for our instruction; that we, through the patience and comfort arising from † the scriptures, might 5 have hope. Now the God of patience and comfort grant you to be of the same mind among yourselves, according 6 to the will of Christ Jesus that with one consent, and with one mouth, ye may glorify the God and Father

* In the common copies this doxology is inserted at the conclusion of ch. xvi. but the Alexandrian and most of the other manuscripts introduce it here. See Griesbach. + taught by, N.

« AnteriorContinuar »