CHAPTER XIV.

him who is

AND, receive ye him who is

weak in the faith; but, not

to doubtful disputations:

2 for, one believeth that he may eat all things; another, who is weak, eateth only herbs:

3 let not him who eateth, despise him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not, condemn him that eateth, for God hath accepted him :

4 who art thou, that condemnest another's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth: yea, and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One man, esteemeth one day above another; another, esteemeth every day alike:

6 let each be fully convinced in his own mind:

7 he who regardeth the day, regardeth it for the Lord;

8 he also who eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth thanks to God; and he who eateth not, for the Lord he eateth not, yet giveth God thanks:

9 for, no one of us liveth to himself, and no one dieth to himself;

10 for, if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; whether, therefore, we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord's:

11 for, to this end Christ

both died and lived, that he might be Lord both of dead and living.

12 But, why condemnest thou thy brother? or, why despisest thou thy brother? for we shall all stand at the judgment-seat

of Christ :

13 for it is written, "As I Is. xlv. 23. "live," saith the Lord, "every "knee shall bend to me, and

every tongue shall confess "to God:"

14 each of us, therefore, shall render account of himself to God.

15 Let us not, then, condemn one another any more; but determine ye this rather, not to put a stumbling-block in your brother's way.

16 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; but, to him who accounteth any thing unclean, to him it becometh unclean.

17 But, if thy brother is grieved by thy food, thou walkest no longer according to love separate not, by thy food, him for whom Christ died. 18 Let not, then, your good be evil spoken of;

19 for, the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking; but justification, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit : 20 for, he who in this serveth Christ, is acceptable to God, and approved by men.

21 Let us, therefore, pursue the things which make for peace; and those, by which we may edify one another:

22 for the sake of food, undo not the work of God.

23 All food, indeed, is pure; but it becometh evil to the man that stumbleth, and eateth : 24 it is good, neither to eat flesh, nor drink wine, nor do any thing by which thy brother is made to trip, or stumble, or is rendered weak.

25 The faith which thou hast, keep to thyself before God: happy is he, who condemneth not himself in that which he approveth:

26 but, he who doubteth, is condemned if he eateth, because he doth it not from faith: for, all that is not from faith, is sin.

BUT,

CHAPTER XV.

UT, we who are strong ought to endure the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, to edification;

3 for, even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, "The reproaches of them that "reproached thee, fell on me.'

4 For, all things that are written, have been written for our instruction; that through

patience, and through the consolation of the scriptures, we may have the hope of con

solation:

5 and, may the God of patience and of consolation grant you to have the same mind among yourselves, according to Christ Jesus;

6 that ye may, with one mind and one mouth, glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Wherefore, receive ye one another to the glory of God, even as Christ received us: 8 for I say, that Christ was Matt. iii. 15. made a minister of the circumcision, for the sake of God's truth;

9 both, to confirm his promises. to the fathers; and, that the Gentiles should glorify God for his mercy;

Heb. ii. 16, 17.

fully satisfy you, with all joy and peace in believing; that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit. 15 And though I am myself persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another;

16 yet, I have partly written to you with more boldness, as reminding you of these things, because of the grace bestowed on me by God, that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus; 17 so administering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles may be made acceptable to Him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

18 I have, therefore, that of which I may glory, through Jesus Christ, in the things pertaining to God:

19 for, I dare not say any thing of what Christ hath not wrought by my word, for the instruction of the Gentiles;

20 both by my word and work; by the power of signs and wonders; by the power of the Spirit:

21 so that from Jerusalem, and round as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ :

22 and I have so aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ had been named, lest

I should build on another's foundation;

23 but, as it is written, "They, Is. lii. 15. "to whom he was not spoken "of, shall see; and they that "have not heard, shall under"stand."

24 From which cause, also, I have been often hindered from going to you:

25 but, having now no longer any place in these parts, and having had, for many years, a great desire to go to you; I will do so, whenever I take my journey to Spain.

26 I trust, therefore, to see you in my passage; and to be conducted by you on my way thither, after I shall have been, in some degree, satisfied by your presence.

27 But, I am now going to Jerusalem, to minister to the saints:

28 for, it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia, to make a certain contribution for the indigent saints which are in Jerusalem:

29 it hath pleased them, and indeed they are their debtors: for, if the Gentiles have partaken of their spiritual things, they ought also to minister to them in carnal things:

30 when, therefore, I have accomplished this work, and have secured to them this fruit, I will go from thence, by you, into Spain.

31 And I know that, when I come to you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ:

32 and I beseech you, by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive with me in prayers to God, for me; 33 that I may be delivered from those in Judea, who believe not; and that the gift which I carry to Jerusalem, may be acceptable to the saints:

34 that I may go to you with with joy, by the will of the Lord Jesus:

35 and may the God of peace be with you all! Amen!

I

CHAPTER XVI.

COMMEND to you our sister Phoebe, who is also a deaconess of the church which is at Kenchrea:

2 that ye should receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and assist her in whatever matter she may have need of you: for she hath been a protectress of many, and of me also.

3 Salute Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow-labourers in Christ Jesus, who, for my life, have laid down their own necks; 4 (to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;) salute also the church that is in their house.

Epenetus, who is the first-fruit of Asia to Christ.

6 Salute Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.

7 Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and fellowprisoners, who are distinguished by the apostles, and who were in Christ before me.

8 Salute Amplias, my beloved in the Lord.

9 Salute Urbanus, our fellowlabourer in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.

10 Salute Apelles, approved in Christ salute those that are of the household of Aristobulus.

11 Salute Herodion, my kinsman: salute those of the household of Narcissus, that are in the Lord.

12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord: salute the beloved sister Persis, who laboured much in the Lord.

13 Salute Rufus, the chosen of the Lord; salute also both his mother and mine.

14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren that are with them.

15 Salute Philologus, and Julia; Nereus, and his sister; and Olympas, and all the saints that are with them.

16 Salute one another with an holy kiss the churches

:

17 And I beseech you, brethren, to observe those who cause divisions and stumblingblocks, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them:

18 for, such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and, by their fair and plausible words, seduce the hearts of the guileless:

19 for, your obedience is come to the knowledge of all: I rejoice, therefore, on your behalf; for I would have you wise in that which is good, and simple, in that which is evil :

20 and the God of peace, will shortly bruise Satan under your feet.

21 The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Amen!

22 Timothy, my fellow-labourer, and my kinsmen, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, salute you.

23 I myself, (and Tertius

who wrote this epistle,) salute you in the Lord:

24 Gaius, my host and that of the whole church, saluteth you: Erastus, the treasurer of the city, saluteth you; also, the brother Quartus.

25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with you all! Amen!

26 Now, to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ; according to the revelation of the mystery 1 Cor. ii. 7. which, in former times, hath been kept secret,

27 but is now manifested, and made known to all nations, through the writings of the prophets, for the obedience of faith; according to the ordinance of the ever-living God;

28 to God, only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever! Amen!

Eph. iii. 4, 5.