Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 52 – Scripture 53
THE EPISTLE OF S. PAVL THE APOSTLE TO TITVS.
CAP. I.
PAul a servant of God,1 Paul a servant of God, and an Apostle of Iesus Christ, according to the faith of Gods elect, and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godlinesse. and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, sent and imploied by him, to preach that Gospell of his, whereby true faith is wrought in his elect, and whereby they are led to the acknowledgment of the saving truth of Christian religion.
For this cause when we were both together in Crete;5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordaine Elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. I left thee there behinde me, that thou mightest rectifie, and make up that which I might not stay to take full order for; and that, by thine Episcopall authority, thou mightst ordaine presbyters in every city of that populous Iland.
See 1 Tim. 3.2.6 If any bee blamelesse, the husband of one wife, having, &c.
Teaching to mixe Judaisme with Christianity for their owne private advantage.11 Teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucres sake.
One of their owne Poets, even Epimenides,12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their owne, saith; The Cretians are alwaies lyers, evill beasts, slow bellies. prophesied truly of them, when he said of them, though upon another occasion; The Cretians are great liers, cruell oppressors, dull, and epicurean gluttons.
This testimony,13 This witnesse is true. though spoken of him to another purpose, is very true of these Judaizing Cretians, &c.
These Jewish bablers talke of differences of meates,15 VntoUnto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled, and unbeleeving, is nothing pure, but even their minde and conscience is defiled. as if some were still impure by vertue of the Leviticall Law, but these men are deceived. For now since the abrogation of those ceremoniall observations, certainly there is no impurity to bee conceived to remaine in the creature it selfe; but what impurity there is, is in the receiver of them; if the man be pure, all meates are pure to him; but, if the man bee sinfull and uncleane, in vaine doth he thinke to make choice of his meat, for all that he can touch or taste, is made uncleane to him, by his inward and morall pollution; since thereby his very soule is made odiously uncleane to God.
CAP. II.
8 Sound speech that cannot be condemned.LEt that which thou teachest, O Titus, bee sound doctrine, such as, if it come to scanning, cannot be justly censured, &c.
11 For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men.For the great bounty and mercy of God, which offereth and (if they were not wanting to him, and themselves, in not beleeving;) bringeth salvation to mankinde; hath beene manifestly shewed, and well approved unto all men in the incarnation of the Sonne of God.
12 Teaching us, that denying ungodlinesse, &c.By vertue whereof, that holy Gospell of his, whereby this salvation is published to the world, teacheth us to avoid ungodlinesse, &c.
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Iesus Christ.Having an eye to that blessed recompence of reward, which wee stedfastly hope for, even that unspeakable glory, which we shall bee possessed fully of, at the appearance of our great God, and Saviour Jesus Christ.
CAP. III.
5 According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost:ACcording to his great mercy, he hath saved us, by the meanes of those holy ordinances which hee hath appointed, and namely (as one of them) by the holy Sacrament of Baptisme, which is the laver of our spirituall regeneration, yet not by any vertue of the outward signe, but by the inward renovation, which is wrought in us by the holy Ghost.
6 Which hee shed on us abundantly, through Iesus Christ our Saviour.Which holy Ghost hee hath abundantly indued us withall, in the miraculous, and saving graces thereof, by and through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who sends that glorious Comforter of his Church.
9 But avoid foolish questions, &c.See 1 Tim. 1.4. and 1 Tim. 6.5.
10 A man that is an heretike, after the first and second admonition, reject.If any man teach, or hold erroneously, concerning the maine points of Christian religion, doe thou give him some serious admonitions, to reclaime him, if it may be; but if once or twice admonishing prevaile not, reject him.
Knowing that such a one is utterly incorrigible,11 Knowing that hee that is such, is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himselfe. and sinneth wilfully, in not yeelding to the truth; and is therefore condemned in his owne conscience, whiles after so palpable a conviction he will yet hold out to maintaine a knowne error.
Zenas,13 Bring Zenas the lawyer, and Apollos on their journey diligently. who having beene a professor of the Mosaicall law, is now so much the fitter for the preaching of the Gospell, and Apollo who is mighty in the Scriptures, are comming towards me; Let them be ayded by you in the charge of their journey hitherward, &c.
And stirre up those that professe themselves to be our disciples, and well-willers,14 And let ours also learne to maintaine good workes for necessary uses. that they bee ready and forward to doe all workes of charity, and beneficence, &c.
THE EPISTLE OF S. PAVL THE APOSTLE TO PHILEMON.
CAP. I.
OVr fellow-labourer in the Gospell,1 And fellow-labourer. Bishop or Pastor of the Church at Colosse.
And to his faithfull consort,2 And to our beloved Apphia, &c. our beloved sister Apphia, &c.
My prayers are alwaies for thee;6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectuall by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Iesus. that thy faith may ever shew it selfe to bee sound and lively, by those good workes which it shall produce; and that those charitable actions of thine, may give effectuall demonstration of the holy graces that are in thee by the gift, and inoperation of Jesus Christ.
I beseech thee in the behalfe of Onesimus,10 I beseech thee for my sonne Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds, who is now my convert, as whom, in my imprisonment, I have won to the faith of Christ,
Who in times past, whiles he was thy servant,12 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable: but now profitable to thee and to mee. and an unbeleever, was belike contrary to his name, utterly unprofitable; but now upon his conversion, will make good that which his name imports, and prove profitable both to thee and me.
12 Receive him that is mine owne bowels.Receive him therefore lovingly, whom I esteeme as deare to mee, as my owne bowels.
13 Bonds of the Gospel.In this durance and imprisonment which I endure for the Gospell.
16 Both in the flesh, and in the spirit.How much more deare to thee, both in worldly or civill respects, and in spirituall.
17 If thou count mee therefore a partner, receive him as my selfe.If thou count mee worthy to be a partner of thy love, and dearest respects, and wouldst shew favour to mee, if I were present with thee, doe the same to him, whom I now hold as my other selfe.
20 Refresh my bowels in the Lord.Do thou comfort, and cheere mee up in my spirituall joy, in the Lord, refresh mee in the Lord, refresh mee in these afflictions, which I suffer for Christ, in doing this kindnesse for my sake.