American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the {Or, fulness}full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, {The ancient authorities vary much in the text of this passage.}even Christ,
in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
rooted and builded up in him, and established {Or, by}in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding {Some ancient authorities insert in it.}in thanksgiving.
{Or, See whether}Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the {Or, elements See Galatians 4:3 margin}rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:
for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:
in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;
having blotted out {Or, the bond that was against us by its ordinances}the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;
{Or, having put off from himself the principalities &c.}having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.
Let no man rob you of your prize {Or, of his own mere will, by humility &c.}by a voluntary humility and {The Greek word denotes an act of reverence, whether paid to a creature, or to the Creator.}worshipping of the angels, {Or, taking his stand upon}dwelling in the things which he hath {Many authorities, some ancient, insert not.}seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God.
If ye died with Christ from the {Or, elements See Galatians 4:3 margin}rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,
Handle not, nor taste, nor touch
(all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?
Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any {Or, honor}value against the indulgence of the flesh.
After these things there was a {Many ancient authorities read the feast (compare chapter 2:13?)}feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew {Some ancient authorities read Bethsaida, others Bethzatha.}Bethesda, having five porches.
In these lay a multitude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered {Many ancient authorities insert, wholly or in part, waiting for the moving of the water 4 for the angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole, with whatsoever disease he was holden.}.
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And a certain man was there, who had been thirty and eight years in his infirmity.
When Jesus saw him lying, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wouldest thou be made whole?
The sick man answered him, {Or, Lord}Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
Jesus saith unto him, Arise, take up thy {Or, pallet}bed, and walk.
And straightway the man was made whole, and took up his {Or, pallet}bed and walked.Now it was the sabbath on that day.
So the Jews said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy {Or, pallet}bed.
But he answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy {Or, pallet}bed, and walk.
They asked him, Who is the man that said unto thee, Take up thy {Or, pallet}bed, and walk?
But he that was healed knew not who it was; for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in the place.
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee.
The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole.
And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh even until now, and I work.
For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only brake the sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner.
For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel.
For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.
For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son;
that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that {Or, hearken}hear shall live.
For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself:
and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.
Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice,
and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have {Or, practised}done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.
I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
It is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth.
But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved.
He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light.
But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.
And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not.
{Or, Search the scriptures}Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me;
and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life.
I receive not glory from men.
But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in yourselves.
I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and the glory that cometh from {Some ancient authorities read the only one.}the only God ye seek not?
Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope.
For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me.
But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
For we know that if the earthly house of our {Or, bodily frame Compare Wisd. 9:15}tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
For verily in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven:
if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
For indeed we that are in this {Or, bodily frame Compare Wisd. 9:15}tabernacle do groan, {Or, being burdened, in that we would not be unclothed, but would be clothed upon.}being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life.
Now he that wrought us for this very thing is God, who gave unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord
(for we walk by faith, not by {Greek: appearance.}sight);
we are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.
Wherefore also we {Greek: are ambitious. See Romans 15:20 margin.}make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing unto him.
For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done {Greek: though.}in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.
We are not again commending ourselves unto you, but speak as giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf, that ye may have wherewith to answer them that glory in appearance, and not in heart.
For whether we {Or, were}are beside ourselves, it is unto God; or whether we are of sober mind, it is unto you.
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died;
and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.
Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.
Wherefore if any man is in Christ, {Or, there is a new creation}he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.
But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation;
to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having {Or, placed in us}committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God.
Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein?
Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
For if we have become {Or, united with the likeness…with the likeness}united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection;
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;
for he that hath died is {Or, released Compare Ecclus. 26.29 (Greek); chapter 7:1.}justified from sin.
But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;
knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him.
For {Or, in that}the death that he died, he died unto sin {Greek: once for all. Hebrews 7:27}once: but {Or, in that}the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof:
neither present your members unto sin as {Or, weapons Compare 2 Corinthians 10:4.}instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as {Or, weapons Compare 2 Corinthians 10:4.}instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace.
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid.
Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as {Greek: bondservants.}servants unto obedience, his {Greek: bondservants.}servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But thanks be to God, {Or, that ye were…but ye became}that, whereas ye were {Greek: bondservants.}servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that {Or, pattern}form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered;
and being made free from sin, ye became {Greek: bondservants.}servants of righteousness.
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification.
For when ye were {Greek: bondservants.}servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.
What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.
For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.
For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: {Or, only until he that now restraineth be taken &c.}only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.
Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all sinned:—
in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
If ye died with Christ from the {Or, elements See Galatians 4:3 margin}rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,
If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.
in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.