through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen. 12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but so to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man 4 a measure of faith. For even as we have many mem bers in one body, and all the members have not the same 5 office: so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, 6 and severally members one of another. And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the 7 proportion of our faith; or ministry, let us give ourselves 8 to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching; or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; 9 he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to 10 that which is good. In love of the brethren be tenderly 11 affectioned one to another; in honour preferring one an other; in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serv12 ing the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; 13 continuing stedfastly in prayer; communicating to the 14 necessities of the saints; given to hospitality. Bless 15 them that persecute you; bless, and curse not. Rejoice 16 with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are 17 lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits. Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honour18 able in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much 19 as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou 31 shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 20 13 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that 2 be are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgement. 3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from 4 the same: 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 for wrath to him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God's service, attending continually upon 7 this very thing. Render 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, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, _Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as 10 thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law. 11 And this, knowing the season, that now it is high time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation 12 nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour 13 of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wan14 tonness, not in strife and jealousy. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. 14 But him that is weak in faith receive ye, yet not to 2 doubtful disputations. One man hath faith to eat all 3 things: but he that is weak eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth set at nought him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth: for God 4 hath received him. Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath 5 power to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let 6 each man be fully assured in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord: and he that eateth, eateth unto the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, unto the Lord he eateth 7 not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to 8 himself, and none dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we 9 are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the 10 living. But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgement-seat of God. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 " Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumbling block 14 in his brother's way, or an occasion of falling. I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself: save that to him who accounteth any15 thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer in love. Destroy not with thy meat him for whom 16 Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that herein serveth Christ is well-pleasing to 19 God, and approved of men. So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we 20 may edify one another. Overthrow not for meat's sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit 21 it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do any 22 thing whereby thy brother stumbleth. The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he approveth. 23 But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin. 15-Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities 2 of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each one of us please his neighbour for that which is good, unto 3 edifying. For Christ also pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached 4 thee fell upon me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we 5 might have hope. Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with 6 another according to Christ Jesus: that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of 7 our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, even as Christ also received you, to the glory 8 of God. For I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers, and 9 that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, Therefore will I give praise unto thee among the And sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; 12 And again, Isaiah saith, There shall be the root of Jesse, And he that ariseth to rule over the Gentiles; 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Ghost. 14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all 15 knowledge, able also to admonish one another. But 1 write the more boldly unto you in some measure, as putting you again in remembrance, because of the grace 16 that was given me of God, that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gos pel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 17 I have therefore my glorying in Christ Jesus in things 18 pertaining to God. For I will not dare to speak of any things save those which Christ wrought through me, for 19 the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Ghost; so that from Jerusalem, and round about even unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of 20 Christ; yea, making it my aim so to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not 21 build upon another man's foundation; but, as it is writ 22 ten, They shall see, to whom no tidings of him came, And they who have not heard shall understand. Wherefore also I was hindered these many times from 23 coming to you: but now, having no more any place in these regions, and having these many years a longing to 24 come unto you, whensoever I go unto Spain (for I hope to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first in some measure I shall 25 have been satisfied with your company)-but now, I say, 26 I go unto Jerusalem, ministering unto the saints. For it hath been the good pleasure of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the 27 saints that are at Jerusalem. Yea, it hath been their good pleasure; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, they owe it to them also to minister unto them in 28 carnal things. When therefore I have accomplished this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will go on by 29 you unto Spain. And I know that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ. 30 ཚ Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that ye strive to31 gether with me in your prayers to God for me; that I may be delivered from them that are disobedient in Judæa, and that my ministration which I have for Jeru32 salem may be acceptable to the saints; that I may come unto you in joy through the will of God, and together 33 with you find rest. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. 16 I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a ser2 vant of the church that is at Cenchreæ: that ye receive her in the Lord, worthily of the saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever matter she may have need of you: for she herself also hath been a succourer of many, and of mine own self. 3 Salute Prisca and Aquila my fellow-workers in Christ 4 Jesus, who for my life laid down their own necks; unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches 5 of the Gentiles: and salute the church that is in their house. Salute Epænetus my beloved, who is the first6 fruits of Asia unto Christ. Salute Mary, who bestowed 7 much labour on you. Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before |