Letters to the Churches

Art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them that are in darkness,

An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, having the form of knowledge and of truth in the law.

Thou therefore, that teachest another, teachest not thyself: thou, that preachest that men should not steal, stealest.

Thou, that sayest men should not commit adultery, committest adultery: thou, that abhorrest idols, committest sacrilege:

Thou, that makest thy boast of the law, by transgression of the law dishonourest God.

(For the name of God through you is blasphemed among the Gentiles, as it is written.)

Circumcision profiteth indeed, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

If then, the uncircumcised keep the justices of the law, shall not this uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

And shall not that which by nature is uncircumcision, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law?

For it is not he is a Jew, who is so outwardly: nor is that circumcision which is outwardly in the flesh.

But he is a Jew that is one inwardly and the circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter: whose praise is not of men, but of God.

What advantage then hath the Jew: or what is the profit of circumcision?

Much every way. First indeed, because the words of God were committed to them.

For what if some of them have not believed? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid!

But God is true and every man a liar, as it is written: That thou mayest be justified in thy words and mayest overcome when thou art judged.

But if our injustice commend the justice of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust, who executeth wrath?

(I speak according to man.) God forbid! Otherwise how shall God judge this world?

For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie, unto his glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner?

And not rather (as we are slandered and as some affirm that we say) let us do evil that there may come good? Whose damnation is just.

What then? Do we excel them? No, not so. For we have charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.

As it is written: There is not any man just.

There is none that understandeth: there is none that seeketh after God.

All have turned out of the way: they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, there is not so much as one.

Their throat is an open sepulchre: with their tongues they have dealt deceitfully. The venom of asps is under their lips.

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: