9 nations be blessed. So that those who depend on faith are blessed with 10 Abraham the faithful. For all who depend on deeds of law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is everyone who abides not 11 by all the things written in the book of the law, to do them. Further, that in the law no one is justified before God is clear, because it is 12 by faith that the upright shall live. Now the law does not exist by 13 faith; nay, he who does them shall live thereby. Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming accursed for us (For it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs upon a gibbet),

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15

That the blessing of Abraham might reach the Gentiles in Christ
Jesus,

That through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.

Brothers, when a man's will has been ratified-to use a merely human way of speaking-no one sets it aside or adds new conditions, though 16 it be but the will of a man. Now it was to Abraham that the promises were spoken, and to his offspring. He does not say "and to offsprings" in the plural, but in the singular "and to thy offspring"-which is Christ. 17 My point is this: the law which came four hundred and thirty years later does not cancel a will previously ratified by God, so as to annul 18 the promise. If the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise. 19 Now God has bestowed it on Abraham by promise. What of the law then? It was added to produce the transgressions, until the coming of the seed to whom the promise has been made; and it was given through 20 the administration of angels by the agency of a mediator. (Now a 21 mediator implies more than one; whereas God is one.) Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? God forbid! Had a law been given which was able to make alive, uprightness would have really been by 22 law; but the scripture shut up all things under sin, in order that the promise which is by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

23

Now before that faith came, we were guarded under control of law, 24 shut up with a view to the faith which was to be revealed. So that the law proved our tutor' till Christ came, in order that by faith we might 25 be justified. But faith has come, and we are under a tutor no longer. 26, 27 You are all God's sons through faith in Christ Jesus; for all of you who 28 had yourselves baptized into Christ, put on Christ. There is no place for Jew or Greek, there is no place for slave or freeman, there is no place for 29 male and female: all of you are one being in Christ Jesus.

Now, if you are Christ's, why then, you are Abraham's offspring, heirs owing to the 41 promise. As long as the heir is a child, I mean, he does not differ at all from 2 a slave, though he is lord of all. He is under guardians and trustees until 3 the term previously fixed by his father. So also with us: when we were 4 children we were held in slavery under the elements of the world; but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under law, that he might ransom those who are under law, that we 6 might get our sonship. And because you are sons God sent forth the 7 Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying "Abba! Father!" So thou art a slave no longer, but a son; and if a son, an heir also through God. But at that time, since you did not know God, you were in servitude 9 to gods which by nature are no gods. Now that you have come to know God, however, or rather to be known by God, how is it you are turning back again to the weak and beggarly elements, desiring to be slaves to 10 them once more? Observe days and months and festal seasons and 11 years! You! I am afraid, after all, I may have laboured on you in vain.

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12

Turn to be like me, brothers, I entreat you; I also have turned to be like 13 you. You have done me no wrong. Rather, though (as you are aware) it was owing to bodily sickness that I preached the gospel to you on my 14 former visit, and though my flesh was a trial to you, you did not despise nor spurn me. Nay, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 You pronounced yourselves "happy." Then where is that happiness? (I bear you witness, you would have plucked out your very eyes and given 16 them to me, had it been possible.) So I have become your enemy by 17 dealing honestly with you? These men are not paying you court with any honourable zeal! Nay, they would shut you out from others in order 18 that you may have to pay court to themselves. It is a capital thing to be courted zealously in an honourable cause, and that at all times, not merely 19 when one is with you, O my children-you with whom I am once more in 20 travail, until Christ be formed in you! Would that I could be with you just now, and alter my tone! for I am perplexed about you.

21 Tell me, you who would fain be under law, do you not understand 22 the law? Surely it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the 23 bondmaid and one by the free woman; but while the son of the bond

maid was born after the flesh, the son of the free woman was born through 24 the promise. This is allegorical. These women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children for bondage; that is Hagar 25 (Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia). She corresponds to the present 26 Jerusalem, for she is in bondage along with her children. But the 27 Jerusalem on high is free; and she is our mother. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren who bearest not:

Burst out with joyful cry, thou who travailest not ;
For many are the children of the desolate,

Many more than hers who is married.

28, 29 Now you are like Isaac, brothers, children of promise. But as at that time he who was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born 30 after the Spirit, so is it now. Nevertheless, what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondmaid and her son, for the son of the bondmaid shall not be heir 31 along with the son of the free woman. Therefore, brothers, we are children not of a bondmaid but of the free woman.

51 It was for freedom that Christ freed us. Stand firm then, and be not 2 caught once more in a yoke of bondage.---Behold, I Paul tell you; if you 3 have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be no use to you. Again I protest to everyone who has himself circumcised, he is under obligation 4 to obey the whole law. You who would fain be justified by law, you are 5 done with Christ, you are fallen from grace. For by faith we wait in the 6 Spirit for uprightness, our hope. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision 7 is of any avail in Christ Jesus, but only faith that works through love. You 8 were running nobly. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? The 9 persuasion to that does not come from him who calls you. (A little 10 leaven leavens the whole lump.) For myself, I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not go wrong. But as for him who is troubling 11 you, he will have to bear the doom, whoever he may be. As for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision," why am I still persecuted? 12 In that case the hindrance of the cross is abolished! O that those who are unsettling you would have themselves mutilated also!

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You were called to be free, brothers. Only, do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in the command: Thou shalt love 15 thy neighbour as thyself. But if you "bite and devour one another," take

16 care that you do not consume one another. I tell you, walk by 17 the Spirit: then you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh (these are opposed to one another), in order that you may not do the things that you would. 18, 19 And if you are led by the Spirit you are not under law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: they consist of fornication, impurity, 20 sensuality, idolatry, magic, enmities, quarrelling, jealousy, angry passions, 21 factions, dissensions, parties, envies, bouts of drunkenness, of revelry, and such like. I tell you beforehand as I already told you beforehand, that those 22 who practise such things shall not inherit the reign of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith23, 24 fulness, gentleness, self-control: against such things there is no law. And those who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and 25, 26 lusts. If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us walk. Let us 61 have no empty pride, nettling one another, envying one another. Brothers, even though a man is detected in some trespass, do you as spiritual people restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness: look to thyself lest 2 thou also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of 3 Christ. For if a man imagines himself to be something great when he is 4 a mere nobody, he is cheating himself. Let each man test his own work, and then he shall have something to exult about in himself, and not 5 in comparison with his neighbour. For each shall bear his own load. Let him who is instructed in the word share with his instructor,

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in all good things.

Be not misled God is not to be mocked,

8 For whatever a man sows that shall he also reap.

He who sows to his flesh shall from the flesh reap destruction,

But he who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap life eternal. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good for we shall reap in due season, 10 if we faint not. So then while we have time, let us work at what is good toward all men, but especially toward those who belong to the household of the faith.

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Look, with what large letters I write you, with my own hand.

The men who are compelling you to be circumcised are those who would like to make a fine display in the flesh; it is only to avoid being 13 persecuted for the cross of Christ. Why, even those who get circumcised do not observe the law themselves! Nay, they would have you circum14 cised so as to exult in your flesh! But never be it mine to exult save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been 15 crucified to me and I to the world. For circumcision is nothing and 16 uncircumcision is nothing, but a new creation is everything. And as for all who walk by this principle, peace be on them and mercy, yea on the Israel of God.

17 In future let no man molest me, for I bear on my body the brands of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers:

Amen.

1 Reading Exoμev.

The apostle, who had himself founded the Corinthian church, specially loved it, and nurtured it with uncommon care. His experiences among these converts were diversified, his difficulties peculiar; and the human side of his individuality is seen in what he writes to them more clearly than in any other epistle. His practical sagacity, spiritual insight, tact and delicacy, were called into exercise by the weighty problem to be solved-the planting of a new religion in Greek soil. . . . Nowhere is the manysidedness of the apostle's mind so evident the breadth and largeness of view that touch topics of multifarious difficulty with masterly ability. All his powers were needed for the successful solution of the problem, which the first church reared on the classic ground of ancient Greece presented; nor did they fail to meet it successfully.—

S. Davidson.

11-9 Greeting: introduction.

110-421 Party-spirit and parties in the church:

110-34

35-421

The genuine character of Christianity as evidenced in Paulits "foolishness" and "wisdom."

The genuine character of the ministry as evidenced in Paulsubordinate and co-operant.

51-13 A case of incest.

61-9a Litigation in pagan courts.

610-20 Fornication.

7-164 Answer to Corinthian letter on :

MARRIAGE and its problems-the principle of celibacy.

FOOD offered to idols--the principles of forbearance and liberty.

WORSHIP: (a) The rules for women.

(3) The rules for the Lord's supper.

(7) Spiritual gifts: their nature, degree, and

purpose.

The pre-eminence of love:

practical application.

THE RESURRECTION of the dead-of Christ, of mankind : its necessity and reasonableness.

THE COLLECTION.

1619-24 Farewell.

I. CORINTHIANS

11 PAUL, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Sosthenes the brother,

2

to the Community of God which is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, along with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, theirs as well as ours: 3 grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank my God for you, for the grace of God granted you in 5 Christ Jesus, because in him you were enriched in everything, in all 6 speech and all knowledge, since the testimony borne to Christ was con7 firmed in you; so that you do not suffer want in any privilege, while you 8 wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who also will confirm you 9 to the end, to be irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

10

Now I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to be all in unison and have no divisions among you, but be at harmony 11 together in the same mind and the same judgment. For I have news of you, my brothers, from the household of Chloe to this effect, that there 12 are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: each of you is saying, 13 "I am of Paul," or "I of Apollos," or "I of Kephas," or "I of Christ." Is Christ divided up? Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or did 14 you get baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful I baptized none 15 of you except Krispus and Gaius, that no one may say you got baptized 16 into my name (well, I did baptize the household of Stephanas also; for 17 the rest, I do not remember if I baptized anyone else). Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel-not in wisdom of word, lest the cross of Christ should be rendered void.

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For the word of the cross is foolishness to the perishing,

But God's power to us who are being saved.

19 For it is written,

I will ruin the wisdom of the wise,

And the cleverness of the clever I will frustrate.

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?

21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom failed to know God,

It pleased God to save those who believe, through the foolishness of

what is preached ;

22 Seeing that Jews demand signs and Greeks require wisdom,

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While we preach Christ crucified,

To Jews a hindrance, to Gentiles foolishness,

24 But to those who are called (both Jews and Greeks), Christ God's power and God's wisdom :

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For the foolishness of God is wiser than men,

And the weakness of God is stronger than men.