The New Testament Part 42

2 [4:4]You are of G.o.d, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. [4:5]They are of the world; therefore they speak of the world and the world hears them. [4:6]We are of G.o.d; he that knows G.o.d hears us, he that is not of G.o.d does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

3 [4:7]Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of G.o.d, and every one that loves has been born of G.o.d and knows G.o.d. [4:8]He that loves not has not known G.o.d; for G.o.d is love. [4:9]The love of G.o.d was manifested to us in this; that G.o.d has sent his only Son into the world that we may live through him. [4:10]In this is love; not that we loved G.o.d, but that he loved us, and sent his Son a propitiation for our sins.

4 [4:11]Beloved, if G.o.d so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

[4:12] No one has ever seen G.o.d. If we love one another, G.o.d continues in us and his love is perfected in us. [4:13]By this we know that we continue in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit.

[4:14]And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son, the Saviour of the world. [4:15]Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of G.o.d, G.o.d continues in him and he in G.o.d. [4:16]And we have known and believed the love which G.o.d has for us. G.o.d is love; and he that continues in love continues in G.o.d and G.o.d in him.

5 [4:17]By this is love perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that as he is we also are in this world.

[4:18]There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has pain; and he that is afraid is not made perfect in love.

[4:19]We love, because he first loved us. [4:20] If any one says, I love G.o.d, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love G.o.d whom he has not seen?

[4:21]And we have this commandment from him, that he who loves G.o.d should also love his brother.

6 [5:1]Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of G.o.d, and every one who loves the Father loves also the Son who is born to him. [5:2] By this we know that we love the children of G.o.d, when we love G.o.d and keep his commandments. [5:3]For this is the love of G.o.d, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous; [5:4]for every child that has been born of G.o.d overcomes the world; and this is the victory which overcomes the world, our faith. [5:5]Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of G.o.d?

7 [5:6]This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus, the Christ; not by water only, but by water and by blood; and the Spirit is that which testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. [5:7]For there are three that testify; the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three are one. [5:9]If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of G.o.d is greater; for this is the testimony of G.o.d that he has testified concerning his Son. [5:10]He that believes on the Son of G.o.d has the testimony in himself; he that believes not G.o.d has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony which G.o.d has testified concerning his Son. [5:11]And this is the testimony, that G.o.d gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [5:12]He that has the Son has the life; he that has not the Son has not the life.

8 [5:13]These things have I written to you, that you who believe in the name of the Son of G.o.d may know that you have eternal life. [5:14]And this is the confidence which we have in respect to him, that if we ask any thing according to his will he hears us. [5:15]And if we know that he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the pet.i.tions which we have asked of him. [5:16]If any one sees his brother commit a sin, not to death, he shall ask, and he will give him life, for those who sin not to death. There is a sin to death; I say not that you should pray for it. [5:17]All wickedness is sin, and there is sin not to death.

9 [5:18]We know that every one who has been born of G.o.d does not sin, but he that has been born of G.o.d keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him. [5:19]We know that we are of G.o.d, and the whole world lies in wickedness. [5:20]And we know that the Son of G.o.d has come, and has given us understanding that we may know the true One; and we are in the true One, in his Son Jesus Christ; this is the true G.o.d, and eternal life. [5:21]Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN.

A.D. 68.

A COMMENDATION OF CURIA'S CHILDREN, ETC.

1 [1:1]THE elder to the elect Curia and her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only but also all who have known the truth, [1:2]on account of the truth which continues in you, and shall be with you forever. [1:3]Grace, mercy, peace, from G.o.d the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, shall be with you in truth and love.

2 [1:4]I rejoiced exceedingly that I found your children walking in the truth as we received commandment from the Father. [1:5]And now I beseech you, Curia, not as if writing a new commandment to you, but [one] which we had from the beginning, that we should love one another.

[1:6]And this is love, that we should walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. [1:7]For many deceivers have gone out into the world, who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh; this is the deceiver, and the antichrist. [1:8]Take heed to yourselves, that ye lose not the labor which you performed, but receive a full reward.

[1:9]Every one who goes beyond, and continues not in the doctrine of Christ, is without G.o.d. He that continues in the doctrine has both the Son and the Father. [1:10] If any one comes to you and brings not this doctrine, receive him not into your houses, and salute him not; [1:11]for he that salutes him is a partaker of his evil works.

3 [1:12]Having many things to write, I do not wish to write with paper and ink, but I hope to be with you and to speak face to face, that our joy may be full. [1:13]The children of your elect sister salute you.

THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN.

A.D. 68.

A COMMENDATION OF GAIUS AND DEMETRIUS, AND A DENUNCIATION OF DIOTREPHES.

1 [1:1]THE elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

[1:2]Beloved, I desire above all things that you may prosper and be in health, as your soul prospers. [1:3]For I rejoiced exceedingly when the brothers came and testified of your truth, as you walk in truth. [1:4]I have no greater joy than this, that I hear of my children walking in the truth.

2 [1:5]Beloved, you did faithfully whatever you do to the brothers, and that to strangers, [1:6]who testified of your love before the church, whom you will do well to send forward worthily of G.o.d. [1:7]For they went out for his name, taking nothing of the gentiles. [1:8]We therefore ought to receive such, that we may be co-laborers for the truth.

3 [1:9]I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes desiring the pre-eminence does not receive us. [1:10]Therefore if I come I will remember his works which he performs, prating against us with evil words, and not being satisfied, in addition to these [things] he does not receive the brothers, and forbids and casts out of the church those wishing to do it.

4 [1:11]Beloved, do not imitate evil but good. He that does good is of G.o.d; he that does evil has not seen G.o.d. [1:12]Testimony is borne to Demetrius by all, and by the truth itself; and we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.

5 [1:13]I had many things to write, but wish not to write to you with ink and pen; [1:14]but hope soon to see you, and we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends salute you; salute the friends by name.

[THE EPISTLE] TO THE HEBREWS.

A.D. 68.

CHAPTER I.

CHRIST THE SON OF G.o.d SUPERIOR TO ANGELS AND TO MOSES.

1 [1:1]G.o.d, who at many times and in many ways spoke anciently to the fathers by the prophets, [1:2]in these last days spoke to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds, [1:3]who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his substance, and sustaining all things by the word of his power, having made a purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high, [1:4]being made as much greater than the angels as he has inherited a more excellent name than they. [1:5]For to which of the angels said he at any time, You are my Son, to-day have I begotten you? And again, I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son? [1:6]And again, when he brings the first-born into the world he says, And let all the angels of G.o.d worship him. [1:7]And of the angels he says, Who makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire; [1:8]but of the Son, Thy throne, G.o.d, is forever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of rect.i.tude. [1:9]Thou hast loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore G.o.d, thy G.o.d, anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy companions. [1:10]And thou, Lord, in the beginning didst build from its foundations the earth, and the heavens are works of thy hands; [1:11]they shall perish, but thou shalt continue; and they shall all become old like a garment, [1:12]and like a mantle thou shalt fold them up, and they shall be changed, but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail. [1:13]And to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footstool? [1:14]Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to serve on account of those who are about to inherit salvation?

2 [2:1]We ought therefore to attend the more to the things which we heard, lest at any time we should glide away [from them]. [2:2]For if the word spoken by angels was firm, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, [2:3]how shall we escape who have neglected so great a salvation? which began to be spoken by the Lord, and was affirmed to us by those who heard, [2:4]G.o.d bearing them witness with signs and prodigies, and various mighty works and gifts of the holy Spirit, according to his will.

3 [2:5]For he did not subject to angels the world to come, of which we speak. [2:6]But one somewhere testified, saying, What is man that thou art mindful of him, or a son of man that thou visitest him? [2:7]Thou didst make him a little lower than angels, thou didst crown him with glory and honor, [2:8]thou didst subject all things under his feet. For in subjecting all things to him, he left nothing not subjected to him.

But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. [2:9]But we see Jesus, made a little less than angels, on account of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of G.o.d he should taste death for every [man]. [2:10]For it became him, for whom are all things and through whom are all things, to perfect by sufferings the prince of their salvation, bringing many sons to glory. [2:11]For both he that sanctifies and the sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, [2:12]saying, I will declare thy name to my brothers, in the midst of the a.s.sembly will I sing to thee. [2:13]And again, I will trust in him. And again, Behold me and the children which G.o.d gave me. [2:14]Since then the children have partaken of blood and flesh, he in like manner also partook of them, that through death he might destroy him that has the power of death, that is the devil, [2:15]and liberate those who all their life were subjects of servitude to the fear of death. [2:16]For indeed he helped not angels, but he helped the descendants of Abraham. [2:17]Whence he ought in all things to be a.s.similated to the brothers, that he may be a merciful and faithful chief priest as to things relating to G.o.d, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. [2:18]For because he has himself suffered, having been tried, he is able to help the tried.

4 [3:1]Whence, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly call, consider the apostle and chief priest of our profession, Jesus, [3:2]who is faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was in his house.

[3:3]For this man is judged worthy of more glory than Moses, as much as he has more honor than the house [tabernacle] which he built. [3:4]For every house is built by some one; but he that built all things is G.o.d.

[3:5]And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of things to be spoken; [3:6]but Christ as a son over his house, whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope.

5 [3:7]Wherefore, as the Holy Spirit says, To-day if you will hear his voice, [3:8]harden not your hearts as in the provocation, in the day of the trial in the wilderness, [3:9]where your fathers fully proved and saw my works forty years. [3:10]Wherefore I was displeased with that generation and said, They always err in mind, and they did not know my ways, [3:11]so I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

[3:12]See, brothers, that there be not at any time in any one of you an evil mind of unbelief in departing from the living G.o.d; [3:13]but exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day, that no one of you may be hardened by the deception of sin; [3:14]for we have been made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of the confidence firm to the end. [3:15]It was said, To-day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation; [3:16]for who having heard committed provocation? Did not all indeed who came out of Egypt with Moses? [3:17]And with whom was he displeased forty years? Was it not with those that sinned? whose bodies fell in the wilderness? [3:18]And to whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest? was it not to them that disobeyed? [3:19]And we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

6 [4:1]Let us fear, therefore, lest at any time a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to come short.

[4:2]For we have also received the good news as they did; but the word of the report did not profit them, not being accompanied with faith in those who heard. [4:3]For we enter into the rest who believed, as he said, I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest, although of works made from the foundation of the world. [4:4]For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day, thus; And G.o.d rested on the seventh day from all his works. [4:5]And in this place again, They shall not enter into my rest. [4:6]Since then it remains that some entered into it, and those to whom it was first preached entered not in on account of unbelief, [4:7]again he defines a certain day, To-day, saying in David, after so long a time, as it was said before, To-day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. [4:8]For if Joshua caused them to rest he would not have spoken of another day afterwards.

7 [4:9]Therefore a sabbatism remains for the people of G.o.d. [4:10]For he [Christ] who entered into his rest, also himself rested from his works, as G.o.d from his.

8 [4:11]Let us use diligence, therefore to enter into that rest [the heavenly rest], that no one may fall, after the same example of disobedience. [4:12]For the word of G.o.d is living, and effective, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and reaching even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrows, and distinguishes thoughts and intentions of mind; [4:13]and there is nothing which is not manifest in his sight; for all things are naked and exposed to his eyes, to whom our discourse relates.

CHAPTER II.