Canons on the Letters of Paul

Contents

Reading pages: 0–88 · 89–90

1. 0The author explains that he divided Paul's fourteen letters into numbered sections and composed ninety short canons, each followed by the numbers of the sections that support it.
2. 1God is true, eternal, invisible, King and Lord; Christ is his image and firstborn.
3. 2Some things are by nature opposed; there is a crooked generation and a 'son of perdition.'
4. 3There are two kinds of spirit, of God and of the world.
5. 4There are two wisdoms, of God and of men.
6. 5Many things are called gods: the belly, the spirits of the air, the powers of darkness, the elements of the world.
7. 6Paul calls sins or demons darkness and works of darkness.
8. 7Only the foolish and fleshly think crudely of God.
9. 8All things are from God, every fatherhood is named from him, and all were created through Christ.
10. 9Wisdom, grace, and blessing are spiritual gifts; God's invisible things are known from creation.
11. 10God's judgments and Christ's riches and wisdom are beyond searching.
12. 11Visible things are temporal, invisible eternal; those who hope only in this life are most miserable.
13. 12Christ took the likeness of sinful flesh, holds the treasures of wisdom, made both one, and ascended on high.
14. 13Christ, God and man, who died for us in the flesh, is the mediator between God and men.
15. 14Christ is the foundation, cornerstone, and head of the church.
16. 15The mystery once hidden is now revealed; Christ is the wisdom unknown to this world's rulers.
17. 16Christ is the Father's image, power, and wisdom; the fullness of deity dwells in him, and he alone was without sin.
18. 17Paul calls the man Christ God and Lord, born of David's seed and of a woman.
19. 18Christ is our peace, who on the cross blotted out the bond against us and broke down the dividing wall.
20. 19Christ willingly fulfilled the Father's will in his passion.
21. 20The heavenly Jerusalem is free; we are children of the promise; Christ is head of the church.
22. 21The Spirit searches the depths of God; the spiritual judge all and are judged by none.
23. 22Sin brings death and enslaves the soul.
24. 23Ignorance is darkness and knowledge light; each has its children.
25. 24God predestined hidden wisdom for the glory of those he chose before the world.
26. 25Faith and salvation are of God's grace; hardening comes from sin; the Gentiles are grafted in against nature.
27. 26Sin and death came through Adam, and death reigned from Adam to Moses.
28. 27Bad company corrupts good morals; disputes destroy rather than build up.
29. 28The desire to sin, become a law and a nature by habit, always opposes the holy will.
30. 29The flesh and its mind are hostile to God and to all good.
31. 30The indwelling Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies.
32. 31The new, inner man bears the heavenly image and is renewed by grace and clothed with mercy, faith, and love.
33. 32The old, outer man is corrupted; Paul calls it an earthly house and an earthen vessel.
34. 33The saints' bodies are temples of God and a living sacrifice; they must avoid the works of the flesh, and virgins remain virgins, as Paul counsels.
35. 34The saints crucify the flesh and glory in Christ's cross.
36. 35Those who abstain from meat and wine should neither be judged nor judge others.
37. 36Wine leads to excess; Paul allows only a little for illness.
38. 37The righteous reject avarice through voluntary poverty, content with food and clothing.
39. 38The righteous fight a spiritual war and await Christ from heaven.
40. 39The teacher's work is reading and preaching, as Paul laboured night and day.
41. 40Christians should persist in psalms, hymns, and prayers for one another, for kings, and for all.
42. 41Paul became all things to all; Christians should imitate him and shine like lights.
43. 42Whoever receives Christ's body and blood unworthily is guilty of them.
44. 43Paul and those he thanked were full of knowledge, faith, and holiness.
45. 44Spiritual gifts are distributed by the Spirit; each should remain in his calling and honour gospel workers.
46. 45A bishop must be blameless and the clergy peaceable; older men and widows likewise.
47. 46Clergy should use church courts, not public ones, judge justly, and require two or three witnesses.
48. 47The strong should bear with the weak, lest they too be tempted.
49. 48God set in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers.
50. 49Christians should choose the good, prefer love to all virtues, redeem the time, and pursue peace and humility.
51. 50Avoid those who serve their belly instead of the apostolic tradition; such will abound in the last times.
52. 51Those who judge others while doing worse sin more; those who consent to sinners share their sin.
53. 52False apostles and prophets cause sects; Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
54. 53Many vain talkers left the apostles and started heresies.
55. 54Paul commends his co-workers and church leaders, whose names are in the book of life.
56. 55Believers are saved by faith in Christ, not by the law, and are free from slavery and from distinction of sexes.
57. 56Paul commands obedience to authorities, manual work, love within the household, and silence of women in church.
58. 57Paul tells those who lack self-control to marry, and says the woman will be saved through childbearing.
59. 58Believers are justified by deeds, not words only, for the kingdom of God is in power.
60. 59Christ is head of the man and the man of the woman; prayer must be without anger; women should be adorned by conduct, not jewellery.
61. 60Paul thanks those ready to give alms and urges others to give.
62. 61Paul praises laymen who helped him or the poor saints.
63. 62Paul preached without burdening the avaricious, yet says those who serve the altar should live from it.
64. 63Some risked their necks for Paul and hosted churches in their houses.
65. 64Those who pursue the law's righteousness are ignorant of God's righteousness given through Christ.
66. 65Paul speaks of two laws, Moses' which does not justify and Christ's which saves.
67. 66Christ frees us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse.
68. 67Spiritual circumcision of the heart replaces fleshly circumcision.
69. 68What happened in the Old Testament was a figure of us.
70. 69Paul sets Abraham's faith before the Jews; believers, justified by faith, are the Israel of God.
71. 70The Gentiles must not boast over Israel's fall; God wills all to be saved and reconciled the world in Christ.
72. 71Paul, once a persecutor, was caught up to the third heaven and received the gospel by revelation from Christ.
73. 72Paul received his apostleship from God; Christ speaks in him; those led by the Spirit are God's heirs.
74. 73Paul preached where no apostle had been, sent by Christ.
75. 74Paul was not inferior to the other apostles in preaching or signs.
76. 75Paul is apostle of the Gentiles; he rebuked Peter at Antioch and received the right hand of fellowship.
77. 76Paul had Timothy, Epaphroditus, and other co-workers.
78. 77Paul calls his converts sons and rejoices over those he grieved to repentance.
79. 78Paul was sent to preach rather than to baptize; in baptism we are buried with Christ to walk in new life.
80. 79Sinners are handed over to worse passions; creation was subjected unwillingly; nothing separates us from Christ's love.
81. 80Paul knows and prophesies in part, seeing dimly, and runs toward the prize.
82. 81Christians should rejoice in suffering for Christ, which brings eternal reward.
83. 82At the resurrection the saints' bodies will shine with differing glory; flesh and blood will not reign.
84. 83Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection and sits above every power at the Father's right hand.
85. 84Those baptized have already risen with Christ and seek the things above.
86. 85God will judge through Christ; each will be repaid by his works, even his thoughts.
87. 86Those who do not honour God are left to their desires and judged more severely.
88. 87Before the judgment the 'son of sin,' the Antichrist, will come.
89. 88The final judgment will be by fire and wrath, coming like a thief at Jesus' return.
90. 89The world's happiness is brief and harmful and its wisdom folly; death will be destroyed and the righteous vindicated.
91. 90The righteous will reign for ever with God and Christ in incorruptible bodies.