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THE EPISTLE

OF THE

APOSTLE PAUL,

ΤΟ

PHILEMON.

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PAUL, a prisoner for the sake of Jesus Christ, and Timo2 thy, the brother, to Philemon our beloved, and fellow labourer, and to Apphia the beloved, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the congregation in thy house; favour be to 3 you, and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my 5 prayers, hearing of the faith which thou hast in the Lord Je sus, of thy love for all the saints, so that every good man 6 among you must acknowledge that thy participation of the faith is operative for Christ Jesus.* For we have great joy and 7 comfort for this love of thine, because the bowels of the 8 saints are refreshed by thee, brother. Wherefore though I 9 have much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fit; yet on account of this love I rather use entreaty. Being such as I 10 am, Paul an old man, and now indeed a prisoner on account

of Jesus Christ, I entreat thee in respect to this son of mine 11 whom I have begotten in my bonds; namely, Onesimus, who

was formerly unprofitable to thee; but is now profitable both 12 to thee and me-whom I have sent back; do thou then receive 13 him kindly, that is, as one whom I tenderly love, whom I was determining to keep with me that for thee he might wait on

* Or literally, "that thy participation of the faith may, in the acknowledgment of every good man among you, be operative for Christ Jesus."

14 me during my being in bonds for the glad tidings; but I would not do any thing without thy consent, that the benefit derived from thee might not be as it were forced, but of free will. For 15 perhaps he was separated from thee for a short time for this very purpose, that thou mightest have him ever after, not as a 16 slave, but above a slave, as a brother beloved in a special manner by me, (and how much more ought he to be by thee) both 17 in flesh, and in the Lord. If therefore thou esteemest me as a

companion, receive him as thou wouldst myself. And if he 18 hath wronged thee, or oweth thee any thing, place it to my 19 account. I Paul myself have written with my own hand. I will make compensation. Not to mention to thee that thou owest 20 me even thine own self. I beseech thee, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: gratify my tender affections in the Lord.

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I have written to thee in a confidence of thy compliance, 22 knowing that thou wilt do even more than I express. In the mean while prepare a lodging for me, for I hope that, by means of your prayers, I shall be granted to you.

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Epaphras my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, Marcus, 24 Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow labourers, salute thee.

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The favour of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Amen.

THE EPISTLE

TO THE

HEBREWS.

I.

GOD, who in sundry parcels and in divers manners spake 2 in time past to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by a son whom he hath constituted heir of all things, by whom also he made the ages; who being an ef 3 fulgence of the glory, and an impress of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, having by himself made a purification of our sins, sat down on the right 4 hand of the majesty on high, being made as much superior to the heavenly messengers as the name he hath inherited is 5 more excellent than theirs: for to which of those messengers

did he ever say, "Thou art my son, this day I have begotten 6 thee." And again, "I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son." And again when he would bring the first born into the world, he saith, "And let all God's messengers 7 worship him." Now in respect to the messengers it is said, "Who maketh winds his messengers, and flaming fire his ministers: but with respect to the son,

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Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever:

The sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of rectitude:
Thou didst love righteousness and hate iniquity,

Therefore God, thy God anointed thee

With the oil of joy above thy associates.[]"

Again, "Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foun

dation of the earth,

* Ps. 2. 7. † 2 Sam. 7. 14. + Deut. 32. 43.
Ps. 45. 6, 7.

Ps. 104. 4.

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And the heavens are the work of thy hand.
They shall perish, but thou wilt endure.

They shall all wax old like a garment,

And like a mantle thou wilt fold them up and they shall be changed:

But as for thee, thou art the same

And thy years shall have no end.*"

And to which of these messengers did he ever say, "Sit at my right hand

Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.+"

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth on service on the account of them who are to be heirs of salvation?

For this cause we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest we, through negligence, 2 let them slip. For if the word spoken by messengers was firm, and every transgression and disobedience received as its reward a correspondent requital, how shall we escape, if we 3 neglect so great a salvation, which was first published

by the Lord, and confirmed for us by them who heard him, 4 God giving a joint testimony, by signs, and wonders, and divers miracles, and distributions of a holy spirit, according to 5 his own will. For he did not subject to angels the dispensation to come, of which we are speaking; but one in a certain *place hath testified, saying,

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"What is man, that thou shouldst be mindful of him!
Or a son of man, that thou shouldst visit him!
Thou madest him a little lower than angels;
With glory and honour thou hast crowned him,
And set him over the works of thy hands.

Thou hast put all things under his feet."+

For when he put all things under his feet, he left nothing which was not put in subjection to him.

him.

(0) But now we do not yet see all things subjected to

(a) But we see him who was made a little lower than

*Ps. 102. 25.
Ps. 110. 1. + Ps. 8. 4, &c.
(0) An objection. (a) The answer.

angels [namely] JESUS, on account of suffering death crowned with glory and honour, that so he by the favour of 10 God might taste death for every man. For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, when bringing many sons to glory to make the leader of their salvation. 11 perfect by sufferings. For both he who sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying,

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"I will declare thy name to my brethren,

In the midst of a congregation I will praise thee."* And, again: "I will trust in him;"+ and, again: "Here am 14 I and the children whom God hath given me."t

As the children therefore were partakers of flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same in order that he might, 15 by his death, put a stop to the operation of him who hath the

power of death, that is the devil; and deliver from bondage 16 them who were all their lives liable to the fear of death, For

he indeed doth not take hold of angels, but taketh hold of the 17 seed of Abraham, whence it behoved him to be made like his brethren in all things; that he might be a merciful and faithful chief priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement 18 for the sins of the people. For by what he himself suffered when he was tried he can help them who are tried. III. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly invi

tation, consider attentively this apostle and chief priest of our 2 profession, [namely] Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him 3 who appointed him, even as Moses was, in his whole house.

For he hath been counted worthy of as much greater honour 4 than Moses, as he who hath builded a house hath more ho

nour than the house. For every house hath some builder, but 5 he who builded all things is God. Now Moses was faithful

in this whole house of his as a servant for a testimony of those 6 things to be spoken; but Christ as a son over his own house, whose house we are, if we stedfastly maintain this confidence, 7 and the boast of this hope, firm to the end. Wherefore as the Holy Spirit saith,

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