The Law of Liberty
(Matthew 7:1-6; Luke 6:37-42)
1Τὸν (The one) δὲ (now) ἀσθενοῦντα (being weak) τῇ (in the) πίστει (faith), προσλαμβάνεσθε (receive), μὴ (not) εἰς (for) διακρίσεις (passing judgment) διαλογισμῶν (on reasonings).
2ὃς (One) μὲν (indeed) πιστεύει (believes) φαγεῖν (to eat) πάντα (all things); ὁ (the one) δὲ (however) ἀσθενῶν (being weak), λάχανα (vegetables) ἐσθίει (eats).
3ὁ (The one) ἐσθίων (eating), τὸν (the one) μὴ (not) ἐσθίοντα (eating) μὴ (not) ἐξουθενείτω (let him despise); ὁ (the one) δὲ (now) μὴ (not) ἐσθίων (eating), τὸν (him) ἐσθίοντα (eating) μὴ (not) κρινέτω (let him judge), ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) γὰρ (for) αὐτὸν (him) προσελάβετο (has received).
4σὺ (You) τίς (who) εἶ (are), ὁ (-) κρίνων (judging) ἀλλότριον (another’s) οἰκέτην (servant)? τῷ (To the) ἰδίῳ (own) κυρίῳ (master) στήκει (he stands) ἢ (or) πίπτει (falls). σταθήσεται (He will be upheld) δέ (however); δυνατεῖ (able is) γὰρ (for) ὁ (the) Κύριος (Lord) στῆσαι (to uphold) αὐτόν (him).
5Ὃς (One) μὲν (truly) γὰρ (for) κρίνει (judges) ἡμέραν (a day) παρ’ (to be above) ἡμέραν (another day); ὃς (one) δὲ (however) κρίνει (judges) πᾶσαν (every) ἡμέραν (day alike). ἕκαστος (Each) ἐν (in) τῷ (the) ἰδίῳ (own) νοῒ (mind), πληροφορείσθω (let be fully assured).
6ὁ (The one) φρονῶν (regarding) τὴν (the) ἡμέραν (day), Κυρίῳ (to the Lord) φρονεῖ (regards it);a ὁ (the one) ἐσθίων (eating), Κυρίῳ (to the Lord) ἐσθίει (eats), εὐχαριστεῖ (he gives thanks) γὰρ (for) τῷ (-) Θεῷ (to God); καὶ (and) ὁ (the one) μὴ (not) ἐσθίων (eating), Κυρίῳ (to the Lord) οὐκ (not) ἐσθίει (he eats), καὶ (and) εὐχαριστεῖ (he gives thanks) τῷ (-) Θεῷ (to God).
7Οὐδεὶς (No one) γὰρ (for) ἡμῶν (of us) ἑαυτῷ (to himself) ζῇ (lives), καὶ (and) οὐδεὶς (no one) ἑαυτῷ (to himself) ἀποθνῄσκει (dies).
8ἐάν (If) τε (both) γὰρ (for) ζῶμεν (we should live), τῷ (to the) Κυρίῳ (Lord) ζῶμεν (we live); ἐάν (if) τε (also) ἀποθνήσκωμεν (we should die), τῷ (to the) Κυρίῳ (Lord) ἀποθνήσκομεν (we die). ἐάν (If) τε (both) οὖν (therefore) ζῶμεν (we should live), ἐάν (if) τε (also) ἀποθνήσκωμεν (we should die), τοῦ (the) Κυρίου (Lord’s) ἐσμέν (we are).
9εἰς (Unto) τοῦτο (this) γὰρ (for), Χριστὸς (Christ) ἀπέθανεν (died) καὶ (and) ἔζησεν (lived again), ἵνα (that) καὶ (both the) νεκρῶν (dead) καὶ (and) ζώντων (living) κυριεύσῃ (He might rule over).
10Σὺ (You) δὲ (however), τί (why) κρίνεις (judge you) τὸν (the) ἀδελφόν (brother) σου (or you), ἢ (or) καὶ (also) σὺ (you) τί (why) ἐξουθενεῖς (do despise) τὸν (the) ἀδελφόν (brother) σου (of you)? πάντες (All) γὰρ (for) παραστησόμεθα (we will stand before) τῷ (the) βήματι (judgment seat) τοῦ (of) Θεοῦ (God).
11γέγραπται (It has been written) γάρ (for):
“Ζῶ (Live) ἐγώ (I), λέγει (says) Κύριος (the Lord),
ὅτι (that) ἐμοὶ (to Me) κάμψει (will bow) πᾶν (every) γόνυ (knee),
καὶ (and) πᾶσα (every) γλῶσσα (tongue) ἐξομολογήσεται (will confess)b τῷ (-) Θεῷ (to God).”c
12Ἄρα (So) οὖν (then), ἕκαστος (each) ἡμῶν (of us) περὶ (concerning) ἑαυτοῦ (himself), λόγον (account) δώσει (will give) τῷ (-) Θεῷ (to God).
The Law of Love
(Ezekiel 14:1-11; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13)
13Μηκέτι (No longer) οὖν (therefore) ἀλλήλους (one another) κρίνωμεν (should we judge); ἀλλὰ (but) τοῦτο (this) κρίνατε (determine) μᾶλλον (rather), τὸ (-) μὴ (not) τιθέναι (to put) πρόσκομμα (any stumbling block) τῷ (before your) ἀδελφῷ (brother), ἢ (or) σκάνδαλον (snare).
14Οἶδα (I know) καὶ (and) πέπεισμαι (I am persuaded) ἐν (in the) Κυρίῳ (Lord) Ἰησοῦ (Jesus) ὅτι (that) οὐδὲν (nothing is) κοινὸν (unclean) δι’ (of) ἑαυτοῦ (itself); εἰ (if) μὴ (not) τῷ (to him) λογιζομένῳ (reckoning) τι (anything) κοινὸν (unclean) εἶναι (to be), ἐκείνῳ (to that one) κοινόν (unclean it is).
15εἰ (If) γὰρ (for) διὰ (on account of) βρῶμα (food), ὁ (the) ἀδελφός (brother) σου (of you) λυπεῖται (is grieved), οὐκέτι (no longer) κατὰ (according to) ἀγάπην (love) περιπατεῖς (are you walking). μὴ (Not) τῷ (with the) βρώματί (food) σου (of you) ἐκεῖνον (that one) ἀπόλλυε (destroy), ὑπὲρ (for) οὗ (whom) Χριστὸς (Christ) ἀπέθανεν (died).
16Μὴ (Not) βλασφημείσθω (let be spoken of as evil), οὖν (therefore), ὑμῶν (your) τὸ (-) ἀγαθόν (good).
17οὐ (Not) γάρ (for) ἐστιν (is) ἡ (the) βασιλεία (kingdom) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God) βρῶσις (eating) καὶ (and) πόσις (drinking), ἀλλὰ (but) δικαιοσύνη (righteousness) καὶ (and) εἰρήνη (peace) καὶ (and) χαρὰ (joy) ἐν (in the) Πνεύματι (Spirit) Ἁγίῳ (Holy).
18ὁ (The one) γὰρ (for) ἐν (in) τούτῳ (these things) δουλεύων (serving) τῷ (-) Χριστῷ (Christ) εὐάρεστος (is well-pleasing) τῷ (-) Θεῷ (to God) καὶ (and) δόκιμος (approved) τοῖς (-) ἀνθρώποις (by men).
19Ἄρα (So) οὖν (then), τὰ (the things) τῆς (-) εἰρήνης (of peace) διώκωμεν* (we should pursue), καὶ (and) τὰ (the things) τῆς (-) οἰκοδομῆς (for edification) τῆς (-) εἰς (among) ἀλλήλους (each other).
20μὴ (Not) ἕνεκεν (for the sake of) βρώματος (food), κατάλυε (destroy) τὸ (the) ἔργον (work) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God). πάντα (All things) μὲν (indeed are) καθαρά (clean), ἀλλὰ (but) κακὸν (it is wrong) τῷ (to the) ἀνθρώπῳ (man) τῷ (-) διὰ (through) προσκόμματος (a stumbling block) ἐσθίοντι (eating).
21καλὸν (It is good) τὸ (-) μὴ (neither) φαγεῖν (to eat) κρέα (meat), μηδὲ (nor) πιεῖν (to drink) οἶνον (wine), μηδὲ (nor anything) ἐν (in) ᾧ (which) ὁ (the) ἀδελφός (brother) σου (of you) προσκόπτει (stumbles).d
22Σὺ (You) πίστιν (the faith) ἣν (that) ἔχεις (have), κατὰ (to) σεαυτὸν (yourself) ἔχε (keep) ἐνώπιον (before) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (God). μακάριος (Blessed is) ὁ (the one) μὴ (not) κρίνων (judging) ἑαυτὸν (himself) ἐν (in) ᾧ (what) δοκιμάζει (he approves).
23ὁ (The one) δὲ (however) διακρινόμενος (doubting), ἐὰν (if) φάγῃ (he eats), κατακέκριται (has been condemned), ὅτι (because it is) οὐκ (not) ἐκ (of) πίστεως (faith); πᾶν (everything) δὲ (now) ὃ (that is) οὐκ (not) ἐκ (of) πίστεως (faith), ἁμαρτία (sin) ἐστίν (is).e
6 11 11 21 23