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man of the Lord in like manner also he that is called, 23 being a free-man, is the servant of Christ. Ye have been bought with a price; do not become servants to men. 24 Brethren, let every man remain with God in that state wherein he was called.

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Now concerning single persons, I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgement, as having obtained mercy from the Lord, that I might be faithful. 26 I think therefore that this is good, because of the present

distress; I say, that it is good for a man to continue as he 27 is. Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed. 28 Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. But if thou thou hast not sinned: and if a virgin marry, marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless, such will have trou29 ble in the flesh. But I spare you. However, this I say,

brethren, The time is short. It remaineth, that both 30 those that have wives, be as those that have none; and

those that weep, as those that weep not; and those that rejoice, as those that rejoice not; and those that buy, as 31 those that possess not; and those that use this world, as those that use it not for the fashion of this world passeth 32 away. But I would have you without anxious care. He

that is unmarried, careth for the things of the Lord, how 33 he may please the Lord: but he that is married, careth

for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. 34 There is this difference also between a wife and a virgin :

The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how 35 she may please her husband. Now I speak this for your own advantage; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for becomingness, and for a right attendance on the Lord without distraction.

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But if any man think that he behaveth himself unbecomingly toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and it ought so to be; let him do what he pleaseth,

37 he sinneth not: let such virgins marry. But he who

standeth firm in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and determineth thus in his 38 heart, that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. So that he who giveth her in marriage, doeth well; but he who giveth her not in marriage, doeth better.

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The wife is bound*, as long as her husband liveth; but if [her] husband be dead, she is at liberty to be mar40 ried to whom she pleaseth; only in the Lord. But she is happier if she remain as she is, according to my judgement and I also seem to have the spirit of God. CH. VIII. Now concerning things offered to idols, we know

(for we all have knowledge: knowledge puffeth up, but 2 love edifieth: however, if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought 3 to know: but if any man love God, such an one is known 4 by him concerning therefore the eating of things offered.

to idols, we know) that an idol is nothing in the world, 5 and that there is no [other] God but one. For though

there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on 6 earth, (as there are gods many, and lords many,) yet to

us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom 7 are all things, and we by † him. However, all have not this knowledge: but some, with a consciousness of the idol, to this hour eat meat as a thing offered to an 8 idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food recommendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we better than others, nor, if we eat not, are we 9 worse. But take heed, lest by any means this your liber10 ty become a stumbling-block to those that are weak. For if any man see thee, that hast knowledge, placed at meat in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him that 11 is weak be encouraged to eat things offered to idols? and by the law, R. T.

+ Or, through, N. m.

through thy knowledge will not thy weak brother perish, 12 for whom Christ died? But when ye sin thus against your brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin 13 against Christ. Wherefore if food cause my brother to offend, I will not eat flesh for ever, lest I cause my brother to offend.

CH. IX. AM I not a free-man? am I not an apostle? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in 2 the Lord? If I be not an apostle to others, yet doubtless

I am to you for ye are the seal of mine apostleship in 3 the Lord. My defence to those that examine me, is this: 4 Have we not a right to eat and to drink* ? have we not a 5 right to take about with us a christian wife†, as well as

other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and 6 Peter ? or have I only, and Barnabas, no right to for7 bear working? Who ever serveth in war at his own charge? who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of its fruit or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk 8 of the flock? Say I these things according to the manner 9 of men? or doth not the law also say the same? For it

is written in the law of Moses, "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that is treading out the corn." Doth 10 God take care for oxen only? Or doth he certainly say

this for our sakes also? For our sakes, no doubt, it was written for he who ploweth ought to plow in hope; 11 and he who thresheth ought to partake of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing 12 if we shall reap your worldly things? If others partake of this right over you, ought not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this right; but we endure all things, lest we should give any hindrance to the gospel

"At the charge of our converts?" Newcome.

+ Gr. a wife, a sister. A wife, being a sister, Geneva version. Or, a wife who is a sister in Christ, N. m.

Gr. Cephas? N. m.

Or, ought to thresh in hope of partaking. MSS. N. m.

13 of Christ. Know ye not, that those who minister about holy things eat of that which is holy? and that those 14 who attend at the altar, are partakers with the altar? So likewise the Lord hath appointed to those who preach the gospel, that they should live by the gospel.

15 But I have used none of these things. Nor do I write* these things, that it should be thus done unto me for it were better for me to die, than that any man should 16 make my glorying void. For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: since necessity is laid upon me; 17 for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. For if I do this willingly, I have a reward: but if unwillingly, 18 the dispensation of the gospel is committed to me. What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel [of Christ] without charge, so as not to use my right in the gospel.

19

For though I be free from all men, yet I have made 20 myself a servant to all, that I might gain the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain those 21 that are under the law; to those that are without the law, as without the law, (being not without law to God, but under law to Christ,) that I might gain those that are 22 without the law. To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak: I become all things to all men, that 23 I may by all means save some. And this I do for the sake of the gospel; that I may be a joint-partaker of it.

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Know ye not that those who run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man who contendeth in the games, is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible 26 crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, as 27 not uncertainly; I so fight, as not striking the air: but

* Gr. have I written, N. m.

I bruise my body, and subject it: lest by any means, after having served as a herald to others, I myself should be disapproved*.

CH. X. For, brethren, I would not have you ignorant, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed 2 through the sea; and were all baptized into Moses, in the 3 cloud, and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual 4 food; and all drank the same spiritual drink. (For they drank of the spiritual rock which followed them and 5 that rock wast Christ.) Yet with most of them God was not well-pleased: for they were destroyed in the desert.

6

Now these things came to pass for examples to us; that we should not be desirous of evil things, as they also de7 sired. Nor be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and to drink, 8 and rose up to sport‡:" nor let us commit fornication, as

some of them committed, and fell in one day twenty9 three thousand nor let us try the Lord, as some of 10 them also tried him; and perished by serpents: nor mur

mur ye, as some of them [also] murmured; and perished 11 by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples; and they are written for our admonition, 12 upon whom the ends of the ages are comett. Wherefore let him who thinketh that he standeth, take heed lest he 13 fall. No temptation hath befallen you, but such as is human but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above your ability; but with the temptation

* So Doddridge. "when I have preached to others, I myself should be a reprobate." N. + The verb substantive is here used as Matth. xxvi. 26. 28. It was an emblem and representation of Christ." Newcome.

Or, dance before the idol: N m.

"If we read Xgisov, the sense is: Nor let us tempt, try, prove, provoke, Christ now; as some of them did God at that time." Newcome. "Christ" is the reading of the received text, and it is retained by Griesbach even in his second edition. The word “Lord” is adopted by the Primate upon the authority of the Vatican and Epbr. MSS. "God" is the reading of the Alexandrian,

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