God's Law and the Body of Christ

1. In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2. When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. 3. Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him out of the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4. ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. 5. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; 6. and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” 7. Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which Yahweh commanded him. 8. All the people answered together, and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” Moses reported the words of the people to Yahweh. 9. Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh. 10. Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, 11. and be ready against the third day; for on the third day Yahweh will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai. 12. You shall set bounds to the people all around, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death. 13. No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14. Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15. He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.” 16. On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud trumpet; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17. Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain. 18. All of Mount Sinai smoked, because Yahweh descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. 20. Yahweh came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21. Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to Yahweh to gaze, and many of them perish. 22. Let the priests also, who come near to Yahweh, sanctify themselves, lest Yahweh break out on them.” 23. Moses said to Yahweh, “The people can’t come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.’” 24. Yahweh said to him, “Go down! You shall bring Aaron up with you, but don’t let the priests and the people break through to come up to Yahweh, lest he break out against them.” 25. So Moses went down to the people, and told them. 1. God spoke all these words, saying, 2. “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3. “You shall have no other gods before me. 4. “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5. you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6. and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7. “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 8. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10. but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11. for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. 12. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. 13. “You shall not murder. 14. “You shall not commit adultery. 15. “You shall not steal. 16. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” 18. All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance. 19. They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.” 20. Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.” 21. The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was. 22. Yahweh said to Moses, “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23. You shall most certainly not make gods of silver or gods of gold for yourselves to be alongside me. 24. You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you. 25. If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it. 26. You shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed to it.’ 1. “Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them. 2. “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall go out free without paying anything. 3. If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. 5. But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’ 6. then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever. 7. “If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do. 8. If she doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her. 9. If he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her as a daughter. 10. If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital rights. 11. If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money. 12. “One who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death, 13. but not if it is unintentional, but God allows it to happen: then I will appoint you a place where he shall flee. 14. If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die. 15. “Anyone who attacks his father or his mother shall be surely put to death. 16. “Anyone who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death. 17. “Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. 18. “If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone, or with his fist, and he doesn’t die, but is confined to bed; 19. if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed. 20. “If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished. 21. Notwithstanding, if he gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his property. 22. “If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow. 23. But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life, 24. eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25. burning for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise. 26. “If a man strikes his servant’s eye, or his maid’s eye, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake. 27. If he strikes out his male servant’s tooth, or his female servant’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake. 28. “If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible. 29. But if the bull had a habit of goring in the past, and it has been testified to its owner, and he has not kept it in, but it has killed a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall also be put to death. 30. If a ransom is laid on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is laid on him. 31. Whether it has gored a son or has gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him. 32. If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, thirty shekels of silver shall be given to their master, and the ox shall be stoned. 33. “If a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and doesn’t cover it, and a bull or a donkey falls into it, 34. the owner of the pit shall make it good. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall be his. 35. “If one man’s bull injures another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live bull, and divide its price; and they shall also divide the dead animal. 36. Or if it is known that the bull was in the habit of goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely pay bull for bull, and the dead animal shall be his own.

1. Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2. and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3. and all ate the same spiritual food; 4. and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5. However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7. Don’t be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8. Let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 9. Let us not test Christ, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents. 10. Don’t grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer. 11. Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12. Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall. 13. No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 14. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15. I speak as to wise men. Judge what I say. 16. The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ? 17. Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread. 18. Consider Israel according to the flesh. Don’t those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19. What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20. But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don’t desire that you would have fellowship with demons. 21. You can’t both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. 22. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 23. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are profitable. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things build up. 24. Let no one seek his own, but each one his neighbor’s good. 25. Whatever is sold in the butcher shop, eat, asking no question for the sake of conscience, 26. for “the earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness.” 27. But if one of those who don’t believe invites you to a meal, and you are inclined to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of conscience. 28. But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 29. Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other’s conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience? 30. If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced for something I give thanks for? 31. Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32. Give no occasion for stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God; 33. even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved. 1. Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ. 2. Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. 3. But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved. 6. For if a woman is not covered, let her hair also be cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or be shaved, let her be covered. 7. For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man. 8. For man is not from woman, but woman from man; 9. for man wasn’t created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10. For this cause the woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11. Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord. 12. For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God. 13. Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled? 14. Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15. But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering. 16. But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God’s assemblies. 17. But in giving you this command, I don’t praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse. 18. For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it. 19. For there also must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you. 20. When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21. For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken. 22. What, don’t you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God’s assembly, and put them to shame who don’t have enough? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don’t praise you. 23. For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. 24. When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” 25. In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.” 26. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. 29. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body. 30. For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. 31. For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. 32. But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33. Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come. 1. Now concerning spiritual things, brothers, I don’t want you to be ignorant. 2. You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led. 3. Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” but by the Holy Spirit. 4. Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5. There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. 6. There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all. 7. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. 8. For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; 9. to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; 10. and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages. 11. But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires. 12. For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit. 14. For the body is not one member, but many. 15. If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body. 16. If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body. 17. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? 18. But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired. 19. If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20. But now they are many members, but one body. 21. The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.” 22. No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23. Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety; 24. whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, 25. that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26. When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28. God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages. 29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all miracle workers? 30. Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with various languages? Do all interpret? 31. But earnestly desire the best gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.

1. Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, Yahweh. 2. Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. 3. Let them be turned because of their shame Who say, “Aha! Aha!” 4. Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, “Let God be exalted!” 5. But I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. Yahweh, don’t delay.