sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us.
Hebrew / JewishChristianity
The Bible (Old and New Testaments)
Titus
[Exhort] servants to be in subjection to their own masters, [and] to be well-pleasing [to them] in all things; not gainsaying;
not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world;
looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.
These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work,
to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men.
For we also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared,
not by works [done] in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Faithful is the saying, and concerning these things I desire that thou affirm confidently, to the end that they who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men:
but shun foolish questionings, and genealogies, and strifes, and fightings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
A factious man after a first and second admonition refuse;
knowing that such a one is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned.
When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, give diligence to come unto me to Nicopolis: for there I have determined to winter.
Set forward Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.
And let our [people] also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
All that are with me salute thee. Salute them that love us in faith. Grace be with you all.
Philemon
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow-worker,
and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in thy house:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers,
hearing of thy love, and of the faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;
that the fellowship of thy faith may become effectual, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in you, unto Christ.
For I had much joy and comfort in thy love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through thee, brother.
Wherefore, though I have all boldness in Christ to enjoin thee that which is befitting,
yet for love’s sake I rather beseech, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now a prisoner also of Christ Jesus:
I beseech thee for my child, whom I have begotten in my bonds, Onesimus,
who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me:
whom I have sent back to thee in his own person, that is, my very heart:
whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity, but of free will.
For perhaps he was therefore parted [from thee] for a season, that thou shouldest have him for ever;
no longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much rather to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
If then thou countest me a partner, receive him as myself.
But if he hath wronged thee at all, or oweth [thee] aught, put that to mine account;
I Paul write it with mine own hand, I will repay it: that I say not unto thee that thou owest to me even thine own self besides.
Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my heart in Christ.
Having confidence in thine obedience I write unto thee, knowing that thou wilt do even beyond what I say.
But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I hope that through your prayers I shall be granted unto you.
Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus, saluteth thee;
[and so do] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Hebrews
God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners,
hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in [his] Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds;
who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
having become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they.
For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee? and again, I will be to him a Father, And he shall be to me a Son?
And when he again bringeth in the firstborn into the world he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels winds, And his ministers a flame of fire:
but of the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of thy hands:
They shall perish; but thou continuest: And they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
And as a mantle shalt thou roll them up, As a garment, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, And thy years shall not fail.
But of which of the angels hath he said at any time, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet?
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away [from them].
For if the word spoken through angels proved stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;
how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard;
God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.
For not unto angels did he subject the world to come, whereof we speak.
But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, And didst set him over the works of thy hands:
Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all things subjected to him.
But we behold him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, [even] Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every [man].
For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, In the midst of the congregation will I sing thy praise.
And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold, I and the children whom God hath given me.
Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
For verily not to angels doth he give help, but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham.
Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, [even] Jesus;
who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house.
For he hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as he that built the house hath more honor than the house.
For every house is builded by some one; but he that built all things is God.
And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken;
but Christ as a son, over his house; whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end.
Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, To-day if ye shall hear his voice,
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, Like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers tried [me] by proving [me], And saw my works forty years.
Wherefore I was displeased with this generation, And said, They do always err in their heart: But they did not know my ways;
As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.
Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God:
but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin:
for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:
while it is said, To-day if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
For who, when they heard, did provoke? nay, did not all they that came out of Egypt by Moses?
And with whom was he displeased forty years? was it not with them that sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient?
And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.
Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it.