Letters to the Churches

Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.

Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Ye knowthis, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.

For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror:

for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.

If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man’s religion is vain.

Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lordof glory, with respect of persons.

For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;

and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;

do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?

But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?

Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called?

Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:

but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.

For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.