overcome evil with good. Let every soul be subject to the XIII. ruling powers; for there is no power but from God. The 2 powers in being are arranged by God; so that he who setteth himself against the power resisteth the arrangement of God; 3 and they who resist shall receive for themselves condemnation. For the rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil. Dost thou then wish not to dread the power? Do that which is good 4 and thou shalt have praise from it. For it is a minister of God for good to thee. But if thou dost evil, be in dread; for it wieldeth not the sword in vain. For it is a minister of God, 5 an avenger to execute wrath on him who doth evil. Therefore it is necessary to submit to government, not only on account of punishment, but also for conscience's sake. Indeed on this 6 account you pay taxes, because there are ministers of God 7 continually employed for this very purpose. Render therefore to all their dues-tribute to whom tribute; custom to whom custom; reverence to whom reverence; honour to whom ho8 nour is due. Owe no one any thing, save this, to love one another: for he who loveth others hath fulfilled the law: for this9 Thou shalt not commit adultery-Thou shalt not murderThou shalt not steal-Thou shalt not bear false witness

10 Thou shalt not covet-and whatever other commandment there be, is summed up in this commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. This love worketh no evil to one's neighbour: This love therefore is the fulfilling of the law. 11 Furthermore, as we know the season, that it is now high

time for us to rouse from sleep, for our deliverance is nearer 12 now than when we first believed: The night is far spent; the 13 day is drawing on; let us therefore put off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light; and let us walk as in day light, in a becoming manner-not in revels and drunken debauches; not in dalliance and wantonness; not in strife and 14 envy; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not proviXIV. sion for the flesh to fulfil its desires. Receive into fel

lowship him who is weak in the faith, without regard to differ2 ences of opinions. One indeed believeth that he may eat all 3 things; another who is weak eateth vegetables. Let not him who eateth despise him who doth not eat. And let not him

4 who doth not eat, judge him who eateth. For God hath taken him into his family, who art thou who judgest another's servant. To his own master he standeth or falleth. But he shall 5 stand, for God is able to establish him. One indeed judgeth 6 one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. 7- Let every one be fully persuaded in his own mind. He who regardeth the day, regardeth it for the Lord; and he who regardeth not the day, refraineth from regarding it, for the Lord. He who eateth, eateth for the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he who eateth not, refraineth from eating, for the Lord, and he giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, 8 nor doth any die to himself. For whether we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord; so that whether 9 we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died

and rose and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the 10 dead and the living. Why then judgest thou thy brother, or 11 why despisest thou thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of the Christ; For it is written, "As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, and every tongue 12 shall give praise to God.* Since every one of us then shall give an account of himself to God, let us therefore no more 13 judge one another, but rather come to this determination, not to lay a stumbling block in the way of a brother, nor give any 14 occasion of offence. I know and am fully assured by the Lord Jesus, that nothing is of itself unclean. But to him who think15 eth any thing unclean, to him it is unclean. Now if on ac

count of thy food thy brother is grieved, thou no longer walk. 16 est according to love. Destroy not by thy food him for whom 17 Christ died. Let not therefore the good which you enjoy be

ill spoken of. For the reign of God is not eating and drink. 18 ing, but righteousness and peace and joy in a holy spirit. For

he who serveth the Christ in these things is acceptable to God 19 and approved by men. Let us then pursue those things which 20 tend to peace and mutual edification. Do not for the sake of

food destroy the work of God. All things indeed are pure; 21 but they are an evil to a man who eateth for a stumbling block.

1

It is good not to eat flesh, nor drink wine, nor any thing by 22 which thy brother falleth, or stumbleth, or is made weak. Thou hast a belief; exercise it at home by thyself before God. Happy he who upon a strict examination doth not condemn 23 himself. Now he who maketh distinctions is condemned if he eateth, because he eateth not with belief; and every thing XV. which is not according to belief is a sin. We then who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour 3 as far as is good for edification. For even the Christ did not 4 consult his own gratification, but as it is written, "The reproaches of them who reproached thee fell upon me"* For whatever was written heretofore, was written for our instruction, that we by patience and the consolation of the scripture 5 may have hope. Now may the God of this patience and of this consolation grant you to have your minds mutually bent 6 on this very thing after the example of Christ Jesus, that you may unanimously, with one voice, glorify the God and Father 7 of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another into fellowship, even as the Christ received us into his family, for 8 the glory of God.

Now I say that, for the truth of God, Jesus Christ became the minister of circumcision, to confirm the promises made to the fathers; and that the Gentiles are to glorify God 9 for his mercy. As it is written, "For this cause I will praise 10 thee among the nations and sing to thy name."† And again it 11 is said, "Rejoice, O nations, with his people." And again, 12 Praise the Lord, all ye nations: Praise him, all ye people, also,‡ And again Esaias saith, "There shall be the root of Jesse, even he who riseth up to rule nations; in him nations 13 will put their trust. Now may the God of this trust fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in this trust by virtue of a holy spirit.

14

Now as for me, I am persuaded, my brethren, with respect to you, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all 15 knowledge and able to instruct one another; nevertheless I

have written to you, brethren, with more boldness, partly as your remembrancer, because of the favour which God 16 hath granted me, that I should be a ministering servant of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, and employed in the holy service of dispensing the glad tidings of God, that the offering of the Gentiles may be accepted, being hallowed by a holy spirit. 17 Therefore I have matter of boasting in Christ Jesus with respect to the things pertaining to God. For I will not presume 18 to mention any thing, save what Christ hath wrought by me for the obedience of the Gentiles, both in profession and prac19 tice, by virtue of signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem and the country around even to Illyricum, I have confirmed the glad tidings of the 20 Christ, (yet when thus ambitious to publish the glad tidings) 21 not where Christ was named, that I might not build on another's foundation; but as it is written,

22

"They to whom no publication was made concerning him, shall see,

And they who have not heard, will attentively consider.*" Therefore, though I have been many times hindered from 23 coming to you, yet having now no further scope in these parts, and having had, for many years, a strong desire to visit you, I will, when I take a journey to Spain, come to you. For I 24 hope to see you on my way, and to be forwarded thither by you, when I shall have first been in some degree satisfied with 25 your company. But now I am going to Jerusalem as an almo26 ner to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleas

ed to make a contribution for the poor saints in Jerusalem. 27 For they have been pleased! Indeed they are their debtors. Forif

the Gentiles have partaken of their spiritual things, they ought 28 to minister to them with temporal things. Having therefore performed this business, and secured to them this contribu tion, I will come to you in my way to Spain. And I know that 29 when I come to you, I shall come with a fulness of the blessing of the glad tidings of the Christ.

30

Now I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ 31 and by the love of the spirit, to join with me in earnest supplications to God, for me; that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea; and that this service of mine, which carrieth me to Jerusalem, may be acceptable to the saints, that I 32 may come to you with joy, by the will of God, and refresh myself with you. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

XVI.

I recommend to you Phebe our sister, who is an almo2 ner of the congregation at Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner becoming the saints, and afford her such assistance as her business may require: for she indeed hath assisted many, particularly myself.

3

Salute Priscilla and Aquilas my fellow labourers in Christ Jesus, who for my life exposed their own; to whom not only 4 I, but all the Gentile congregations also, owe thanks. Salute 5 also the congregation at their house. Salute my beloved Epe

netus, who is the first fruits of Achaia for Christ. Salute Ma6 ry, who hath taken a great deal of pains on our account. Sa7 lute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prison

ers. They are in high repute among the apostles, and were in 8 Christ before me. Salute Amplias, who is my beloved in the 9 Lord. Salute Urbanus, our fellow labourer in Christ, and 10 Stachys, who is my beloved. Salute Appelles, who is approv

ed in Christ. Salute those who are of the household of Aristo11 bulus. Salute Herodian, my kinsman. Salute those of the house12 hold of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. Salute Tryphena and

Tryphosa, who have laboured in the Lord. Salute the belov13 ed Persis, who hath laboured much in the Lord. Salute Ru14 fus, the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Salute 15 Asyncritus, Phlegon, Ermas, Patrobas, Herme, and the brethren with them. Salute Philologus, and Julias, and Nereus, and his sister, and Olympus, and all the saints with them. Sa16 lute one another with a holy kiss. The congregation of Christ salute you.

17

Now I exhort you, brethren, to mark them who make the divisions and the stumbling blocks contrary to the doctrine 18 which you have learned; and avoid them. For such men do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly. And by their fawning speeches and flattering forms of address, they 19 deceive the hearts of the innocent. For your obedience is come