1. 1 Excerpts from The Bible The New Testament Letters of St. Paul The Letter of Paul to the RomansEver since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, hasbeen clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; foralthough they knew God they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they becamefutile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, theybecame fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortalman or birds or animals or reptiles.Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of theirbodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie andworshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged naturalrelations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and wereconsumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receivingin their own persons the due penalty for their error.And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and toimproper conduct. They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice.Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, andinsolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless,and ruthless. Though they know Gods decree that those who do such things deserve to die,they not only do them but also approve those who practice them.Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for inpassing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the verysame things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who do such things. Doyou suppose, O man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself,you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume upon the riches of his kindness andforbearance and patience? Do you not know that Gods kindness is meant to lead you torepentance?But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrathwhen Gods righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will render to every man accordingto his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor andimmortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are factious and do not obey thetruth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation anddistress for every human being who does evil, but glory and peace for everyone who doeswell. For God shows no partiality.We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and enduranceproduces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because

2. 2Gods love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been givento us.Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do notyield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men whohave been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness.For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under the law but under grace.When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what returndid you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. Butnow that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get issanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God iseternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those wholive according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on theflesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set onthe flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to Gods law, indeed it cannot; and those who arein the flesh cannot please God.So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh for if you liveaccording to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the bodyyou will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. The First Letter of Paul to the CorinthiansLet no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let himbecome a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. Forit is written, He catches the wise in their craftiness, and again, The Lord knows that thethoughts of the wise are futile.Brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; from now on, let those who have wiveslive as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and thosewho rejoice as though as they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had nogoods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it For the formof this world is passing away.I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of theLord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how toplease his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious aboutthe affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxiousabout worldly affairs, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to layany restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotionto the Lord.

3. 3There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning; but if Ido not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker aforeigner to me. So with yourselves; since you are eager for the manifestations of the Spirit,strive to excel in building up the church (human body).Therefore, he who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. For if I pray in atongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with the spirit andI will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. Ithank God that I speak in tongues more than you all; nevertheless, in church I wouldrather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand wordsin a tongue.Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, inthe twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will beraised imperishable, and we shall be changed. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin isthe law. But thanks are to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work ofthe Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. The Letter of Paul to GalatiansFor freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yokeof slavery. For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as anopportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another.But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of theflesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these areopposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by theSpirit you are under the law.Now the works of the flesh are plain: Fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy,drunkenness, carousing, and the like.I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdomof God.But the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, noprovoking of one another, no envy of one another.

4. 4Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Forhe who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spiritwill from the Spirit reaps eternal life. And let us not grow weary in well doing, for in due seasonwe shall reap, if we do not lose heart. So then as we have opportunity, let us do well to allmen, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. The Letter of Paul to EphesiansPut off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt throughdeceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, createdafter the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away falsehoodlet everyone speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members of one of another.Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let no eviltalk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that itmay impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom youwere sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamourand slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another,tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.Be imitators of God as beloved children. Fornication and all impurity or covetousness must noteven be named among you, as is fitting among saints. Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, norlevity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that nofornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritancein the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it isbecause of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.Therefore do not associate with them, for once you were darkness, but now you are light in theLord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right andtrue), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works ofdarkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do insecret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomesvisible is light, Therefore it is said, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christshall give you light.Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of thetime, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will ofthe Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with Spirit,addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody tothe Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our LordJesus Christ to God the Father. The Letter of Paul to PhilippiansDo nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Do all

5. 5things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children ofGod without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shineas lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proudthat I did not run in vain or labour in vain.Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. TheLord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication bythanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes allunderstanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The Letter of Paul to the ColossiansPut to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, andcovetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these youonce walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice,slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put offthe old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed inknowledge after the image of its Creator.Put on then, as Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness,meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint againstanother, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Andlet the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body.And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish oneanother in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness inyour hearts to God.And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, givingthanks to God the Father through him. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not with eye-service, as men- pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men. Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer every one.

6. 6 The First Letter of Paul to the ThessaloniansFor you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. Sothen let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep,sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But, since we belong to the day, let usbe sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. ForGod has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, whodied for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage oneanother and build one another up, just as you are doing. The First Letter of Paul to TimothyDo not rebuke an older man but exhort him as you would a father; treat younger men likebrothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, andwe cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shallbe content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senselessand hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the rootof all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and piercedtheir hearts with many pangs.As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertainriches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to berich in good deeds, liberal and generous, thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for thefuture, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed. The Second Letter of Paul to TimothyFollow the pattern of the sound words, which you have heard from me, in the faith, andlove, which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spiritwho dwells within us.The Lord knows those who are his, and, let everyone who names the name of the Lord departfrom iniquity. So shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace,along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with stupid,senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lords servant must not bequarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents withgentleness.But understand this that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers ofself, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless,swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religionbut denying the power of it. Avoid such people.

7. 7 The Letter of Paul to TitusTo the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; theirvery minds and consciences are corrupted. They profess to know God, but they deny himby their deeds; they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.But as for you, teach what befits sound doctrine. Bid the older men to be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Bid the older women likewise to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be discredited. Likewise urge the younger men to control themselves. The Letter to the HebrewsNow faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By faith weunderstand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out ofthings, which do not appear. And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoeverwould draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seekhim.In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.And have you forgotten the exhortation, which addresses you as sons? My son, do not regardlightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lorddisciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is therewhom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all haveparticipated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthlyfathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Fatherof spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines usfor our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painfulrather than pleasure; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who havebeen trained by it.Let brotherly love continue. Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bedbe undefiled; for the God will judge the immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from loveof money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, I will never fail you norforsake you. Hence we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid;what can man do to me?