Freedom in Christ

1In the freedom, then, with which Christ did make you free — stand ye, and be not held fast again by a yoke of servitude;

2lo, I Paul do say to you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; 3and I testify again to every man circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law; 4ye were freed from the Christ, ye who in law are declared righteous; from the grace ye fell away; 5for we by the Spirit, by faith, a hope of righteousness do wait for, 6for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith through love working.

7Ye were running well; who did hinder you — not to obey the truth? 8the obedience [is] not of him who is calling you! 9a little leaven the whole lump doth leaven; 10I have confidence in regard to you in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded; and he who is troubling you shall bear the judgment, whoever he may be. 11And I, brethren, if uncircumcision I yet preach, why yet am I persecuted? then hath the stumbling-block of the cross been done away; 12O that even they would cut themselves off who are unsettling you!

13For ye — to freedom ye were called, brethren, only not the freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through the love serve ye one another, 14for all the law in one word is fulfilled — in this: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself;’ 15and if one another ye do bite and devour, see — that ye may not by one another be consumed.

Living by the Spirit

(Romans 8:9-11)

16And I say: In the Spirit walk ye, and the desire of the flesh ye may not complete; 17for the flesh doth desire contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit contrary to the flesh, and these are opposed one to another, that the things that ye may will — these ye may not do; 18and if by the Spirit ye are led, ye are not under law. 19And manifest also are the works of the flesh, which are: Adultery, whoredom, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strifes, emulations, wraths, rivalries, dissensions, sects, 21envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revellings, and such like, of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that those doing such things the reign of God shall not inherit. 22And the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23meekness, temperance: against such there is no law; 24and those who are Christ’s, the flesh did crucify with the affections, and the desires;

25if we may live in the Spirit, in the Spirit also we may walk; 26let us not become vain-glorious — one another provoking, one another envying!