The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Part 55

MY brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord]

of glory, with respect of persons. (2)For if there have come into your a.s.sembly a man with a gold ring, in gay clothing, and there have come in also a poor man in mean clothing; (3)and ye have respect to him that wears the gay clothing, and say: Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or, Sit under my footstool; (4)were ye not partial in yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

(5)Hearken, my beloved brethren. Did not G.o.d choose the poor as to this world[2:5] to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him? (6)But ye dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do not they drag you before the judgment-seats? (7)Do not they blaspheme the worthy name by which ye are called?

(8)If indeed ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well. (9)But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. (10)For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (11)For he who said: Do not commit adultery, said also: Do not kill. Now if thou commit not adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

(12)So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. (13)For the judgment shall be without mercy, to him that showed no mercy. Mercy glories over judgment.

(14)What does it profit, my brethren, if any one say that he has faith, and have not works? Can the faith save him? (15)But if a brother or a sister be naked, and dest.i.tute of daily food, (16)and one of you say to them: Depart in peace, be warmed, and be filled, but ye give them not the things needful for the body, what does it profit?

(17)So also faith, if it has not works, is dead in itself. (18)But some will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without the works, and I will show thee the faith by my works.

(19)Thou believest that G.o.d is one. Thou doest well; the demons also believe, and tremble. (20)But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

(21)Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (22)Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made complete. (23)And the scripture was fulfilled which says: Abraham believed G.o.d, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness; and he was called, Friend of G.o.d.

(24)Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

(25)And in like manner, was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she received the messengers, and sent them out by another way? (26)For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

III.

MY brethren, be not many teachers, knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation. (2)For in many things we all offend. If any one offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body.

(3)Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths[3:3], that they may obey us, we turn about also their whole body. (4)Behold also the s.h.i.+ps, though they are so great, and driven by fierce winds, are turned about by a very small helm, whithersoever the steersman may desire. (5)So also the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a forest a little fire kindles! (6)And the tongue is a fire, that world of iniquity! The tongue among our members is that which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of life, and is set on fire by h.e.l.l. (7)For every nature of beasts and birds, of reptiles and things in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed, by the nature of man. (8)But the tongue no man can tame; a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (9)Therewith we bless the Lord and Father; and therewith we curse men, who have been made after the likeness of G.o.d. (10)Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (11)Does the fountain, out of the same opening, send forth the sweet and the bitter? (12)Can a fig-tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a vine figs?

Neither can salt water yield fresh.

(13)Who is wise and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show, out of his good deportment, his works in meekness of wisdom. (14)But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, do not glory, and lie against the truth. (15)This wisdom is not one that comes down from above, but earthly, sensual[3:16], devilish. (16)For where there is emulation and strife, there is confusion and every evil work. (17)But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, forbearing, easily persuaded, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (18)And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, by those who work peace.

IV.

FROM whence are wars, and from whence are fightings among you? Are they not from hence, from your l.u.s.ts that war in your members? (2)Ye desire, and have not; ye kill, and envy, and can not obtain; ye fight and war. Ye have not, because ye ask not; (3)ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your l.u.s.ts.

(4)Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friends.h.i.+p of the world is enmity with G.o.d? Whoever therefore desires to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of G.o.d. (5)Do ye think that the Scripture says in vain, the spirit he made to dwell in us has jealous longings?

(6)But he gives the more grace. Wherefore he says:

G.o.d resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.

(7)Submit yourselves therefore to G.o.d. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. (8)Draw nigh to G.o.d, and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. (9)Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness. (10)Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

(11)Do not speak against one another, brethren. He that speaks against his brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. (12)One is the lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. Who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?

(13)Come now, ye that say: To-day and to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend one year there, and buy and sell, and get gain; (14)(whereas ye know not what belongs to the morrow; for what is your life? for ye are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away;) (15)instead of saying: If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that. (16)But now ye glory in your boastings. All such glorying is evil. (17)Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.

V.

COME now, ye rich, weep, wailing for your miseries that are coming upon you. (2)Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are become moth-eaten. (3)Your gold and silver is rusted; and the rust of them will be a witness against you, and will eat your flesh as fire. Ye heaped up treasure, in the last days.

(4)Behold, the hire of the laborers who reaped your fields, which is fraudulently kept back by you, cries out; and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth[5:4]. (5)Ye have been luxurious on the earth, and lived in pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts, in the day of slaughter. (6)Ye have condemned, ye have killed the just; he does not resist you.

(7)Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.

Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, till it shall have received the early and latter rain. (8)Be ye also patient; establish your hearts, because the coming of the Lord draws nigh. (9)Murmur not against one another, brethren, that ye be not judged. Behold, the judge stands before the door. (10)Take, my brethren, the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, for an example of affliction, and of patience. (11)Behold, we count those happy who endure. Ye heard of the patience of Job, and saw the end of the Lord[5:11]; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

(12)But above all things, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under condemnation.

(13)Is any afflicted among you, let him pray. Is any cheerful, let him sing praise. (14)Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (15)And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and even if he have committed sins, it will be forgiven him.

(16)Confess therefore your trespa.s.ses to one another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous man avails much. (17)Elijah was a man of like nature with us; and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months. (18)And again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

(19)Brethren, if any one among you be led astray from the truth, and one convert him; (20)let him know, that he who converts a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death, and will hide a mult.i.tude of sins.

THE FIRST GENERAL LETTER OF PETER.

I.

PETER, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered[1:1]

through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia; (2)chosen according to the foreknowledge of G.o.d the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you.

(3)Blessed be the G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy begot us again unto a living hope[1:3]

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; (4)unto an inheritance imperishable, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, (5)who by the power of G.o.d are kept through faith, unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (6)Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little time, if need be, made sorrowful by manifold trials; (7)that the proof of your faith, much more precious than gold that perishes, but is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (8)whom having not seen ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; (9)receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

(10)Concerning which salvation the prophets diligently sought and searched, who prophesied of the grace toward you; (11)searching as to what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them signified, when it testified beforehand the sufferings destined for Christ, and the glories that should follow; (12)to whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you they were ministering them, which now have been announced to you, through those who brought you the good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.

(13)Wherefore, girding up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope perfectly for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (14)as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves to the former l.u.s.ts in your ignorance; (15)but as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves holy in all your deportment; (16)because it is written: Ye shall be holy, for I am holy.

(17)And if ye call him Father[1:17], who without respect of persons judges according to each one's work, pa.s.s the time of your sojourning in fear; (18)knowing that not with perishable things, silver and gold, ye were redeemed from your vain course of life received by tradition from your fathers, (19)but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; (20)who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but manifested in these last times for you, (21)who through him believe on G.o.d, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope are on G.o.d.

(22)Having purified your souls in obeying the truth unto unfeigned brotherly love, love one another from the heart fervently; (23)being born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the word of G.o.d, which lives and abides forever. (24)Because,

All flesh is as gra.s.s, And all its glory as the flower of gra.s.s.

The gra.s.s withered, and its flower fell off; (25)But the word of the Lord abides forever.

And this is the word which was preached to you.

II.

LAYING aside therefore all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and all backbitings, (2)as newborn babes, long for the spiritual, unadulterated milk, that ye thereby may grow unto salvation; (3)if indeed ye tasted that the Lord is gracious; (4)to whom coming, a living stone, disallowed indeed by men, but with G.o.d chosen, honored, (5)ye yourselves also, as living stones, are built up[2:5] a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to G.o.d through Jesus Christ. (6)Because it is contained in the Scripture: Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, chosen, honored; and he that believes on him shall not be put to shame.

(7)To you therefore who believe is the honor; but to the disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is become the head of the corner, (8)and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, who stumble, being disobedient to the word; to which they were also appointed.