Images de page
PDF
ePub

in the likeness of men; 8 and 19 But I hope in the Lord

being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God, on his hart, hath very highly exalted him, and of his favour rewarded him with that name which is above every name: 10 that, in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and those on the earth, and those under the earth; 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Fa

ther.

Jesus, to send Timothy shortly to you, that I may also be of good comfort when I know your affairs. 20 For I have no one likeminded, who will sincerely care for your affairs. 21 For all seek their ow things, not the things of Christ Jesus.

22 But ye know the proof of him; that, as a child serveth a father, he hath served with me as to the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him forthwith, as soon as I shall see how the things concerning me will end. 24 But I trust in the Lord, that I myself also shall come shortly. 25 Yet I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fel

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in mine absence, work out your own sal-low-labourer, and fellow-soldier, vation with fear and trembling 13 for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do, of his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings; 15 that ye may be blameless and harmless, unreproveable children of God, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life; that I may boast in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain.

17 YEA, if I be even poured out upon the sacrifice and public offering of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all: 18 and in the same manner do ye also joy, and rejoice with me.

and your messenger and minister to my wants. 26 For he greatly longed after you all, and was full of anguish, because ye had heard that he had been sick.

27 For indeed he was sick near to death: but God had pity on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy; and hold such in reputation: 30 because for the work [of Christ] he was death, having hazarded his life, to fill up what remained behind of your service towards me.

near to

CH. III. 1 FINALLY, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you 8 not grievous to me, and is safe for you.

by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, nor am I already perfected but I still pursue, that verily I may lay hold on that for which indeed I was laid hold on by Christ.*

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have laid hold on the prize: but one thing I do; forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth to the things which are before, 14 I press towards the goal, for the

of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect men, think thus: and if in any thing ye think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 However, as far as we have reached, let us walk therein.

2 BEWARE of dogs, beware of evil-doers, beware of the concision. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God with our spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no conidence in the flesh: 4 though I might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other one seem to have confidence in the Hesh, I have more: 5 circum-prize of the heavenly calling cised the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning righteousness, which cometh, by the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count that all things are loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: (for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse that I might gain Christ, 9 and might be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, a righteousness which upon this faith, is from God :) 10 that I might know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the partaking of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death; 11 if to himself.

17 Brethren, be joint-imitators of me, and mark those who so walk, as ye have us for an example. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now I tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; 19 whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame: who mind earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven; whence we also look for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will change our debased body, that it may be of like form with his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able to subject even all things

• So Macknight. The allusions here are to the Grecian gymnastic games.

CH. IV. 1 Wherefore, my brethren, beloved and greatly desired, my joy and crown, thus, O my beloved, stand firmly in the Lord.

learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound: always, and in all things, I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to want: 13 I can do all things through him who strengtheneth me. 14 However, ye have done well, that ye jointly contributed to

2 I BESEECH Euodia, and I beseech Syntyché, to be of the same mind in the Lord: 3 and I entreat thee also, true companion, help those women, who have laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with mine other fellow-labour-relieve my affliction. ers, whose names are in the 15 And, ye also know, O book of life. Philippians, that, in the begin 4 Rejoice in the Lord al-ning of my preaching the gos ways and again I say, Rejoice. pel, when I was departing 5 Let your mildness be known from Macedonia, no church to all men. The Lord is near. had intercourse with me, as 6 Take no anxious thought for concerning giving and receivany thing; but in every thing ing, but ye only: 16 and that let your requests be made in Thessalonica ye sent, once, known to God by prayer and and also a second time, to my supplication with thanksgiv-necessity. 17 Not that I furing: 7 and the peace of God, ther desire a gift: but I further which exceedeth all compre-desire fruit which may abound hension, will keep your hearts to your account. and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally brethren, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is grave, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is kind, whatsoever is of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things; 9 what ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, these things do: and the God of peace will be with you.

10 BUT I have rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at length your care of me hath revived; wherein ye were careful also before, but wanted opportunity. 11 Not that I speak concerning want: for I have

18 But I have every thing, and abound: I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, an acceptable sacrifice, wellpleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply all your wants, according to his riches in glory, in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God, and Father, be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.

21 SALUTE every one who is holy in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me, salute you.

22 All the saints salute you; chiefly those who are of Cæsar's household. 23 The favour of [our] Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. [Amen.]

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE COLOSSIANS.

CHAP. I.

1 PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossé : favour be to you, and peace, from God our Father.

3 WE give thanks to the God [and] Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of your love to all the saints,) 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which ye have heard before in the true doctrine of the gospel; 6 which is come to you, as also in all the world; and is bringing forth fruit, and increasing; even as it doth among you since the day ye heard of it, and knew the favour of God in truth; 7 as ye have learned [also] from Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; 8 who hath declared also to us your love in the spirit.

9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, cease not to pray for you, and to ask that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding; 10 that ye may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord so as to please him in all things, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, to all patience and endurance with joyfulness; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

13 TO him who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son: 14 to him in whom we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins; 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of the whole creation: 16 (for in him all things were created* that are

"That the apostle does not here intend the creation of natural substances is evident; for, Ist, He does not say that by (or in) him were created heaven and earth, but things in heaven, and things on earth: 2dly, He does not, in descending into detail, specify things themselves, viz. celestial and terrestial substances, but merely states of things, viz. thrones, dominions, etc. which are only ranks and orders of beings in the rational and moral world: 3dly, It is plain from comparing ver. 15 and ver. 18, that Christ is called the first-born of the whole creation, because he is the first who was raised from the dead to an immortal life: 4thly, The creation of natural objects, the heaven, the earth and sea, and all things therein, when they are plainly and unequivocally mentioned, is uniformally and invariably ascribed to the Father, both in the Old Testament and the New. Hence it follows, that the creation, which the apostle here ascribes to Christ, expresses that great change which was introduced into the moral world, and particularly into the relative situation of Jews and gentiles, by the dispensation of the gospel. This

in heaven, and that are on turn fill up that which in my earth, visible or invisible, whe-flesh remaineth behind of my ther they be thrones, or domi-afflictions because of Christ, nions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created through him, and for him: 17 and he is before all things, and in him all things subsist: 18 and he is the head of the body, the church even he who is the chief, the first-born from the dead, that amongst all he might be the first.) 19 For it hath pleased the Father to inhabit all fulness in him; 20 and, through him, to reconcile all things to himself, (having made peace through the blood of his cross,) [through him,] I say, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven.*

21 And you, though ye were formerly aliens,† and enemies in your mind, by wicked works, yet hath he now reconciled, 22 in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and spotless, and irreproachable in his sight; 23 if ye continue grounded and stedfast in the faith, and not moved away from the hope given by the gospel which ye have heard, and which hath been proclaimed in all [the] creation which is under heaven; of which, I Paul, have been made a minister.

24 I Now rejoice in my sufferings, for you, and in my

for the sake of his body, which is the church: 25 of which church I have been made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which hath been given me towards you, that I may fully preach the word of God, 26 even the mystery which hath been hidden from ages and from generations, but now hath been made manifest to his saints: 27 to whom God hath been willing to make known what are the glorious riches of this mystery among the gentiles; which mystery is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching [every man,] with all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ: 29 for which I also labour; and contend according to his working which powerfully worketh in me.

CH. II. 1 FOR I would that ye knew what earnest care I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 that their hearts might be comforted, they being knit together in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of their understanding, to the

is often called creation, or the new creation, and is usually ascribed to Jesus Christ; who was the great prophet and messenger of the new covenant. See Eph. i. 10; ii. 10-15; iii. 9; iv. 24; Col. iii. 10; 2 Cor. v. 17. This great change the apostle here describes under the symbol of a revolution, introduced by Christ amongst certain ranks and orders of beings, by whom, according to the Jewish demonology, borrowed from the Oriental philosophy, the affairs of states and individuals were superintended and governed. See Mr. Lindsey's Sequel, p. 477, and Wetstein in loco." Im. Ver. note.

that is, gentiles or Jews, who were first reconciled to one another, and then to God, through Christ: i. e. through the gospel of Christ. See Eph. i. 10, also Eph. ii. 14-16.

In their heathen state they were ceremonially and morally sinners. They are now ceremo nially reconciled, i. e. brought to the profession of christianity that they may be morally purified.

« PrécédentContinuer »