The Parable of the Wedding Feast

22 And again Jesus ^(A)spoke to them in parables, saying, ^2 (B)“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave ^(C)a wedding feast for his son, ³ and ^(D)sent his servants^[a] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ^4 (E)Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my ^(F)dinner, ^(G)my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ ⁵ But ^(H)they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, ^(I)treated them shamefully, and ^(J)killed them. ⁷ The king was angry, and he sent his troops and ^(K)destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not ^(L)worthy. ⁹ Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ ¹⁰ And those servants went out into the roads and ^(M)gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there ^(N)a man who had no wedding garment. ¹² And he said to him, ^(O)‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and ^(P)cast him into the outer darkness. In that place ^(Q)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are ^(R)called, but few are ^(S)chosen.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

^15 (T)Then the Pharisees went and plotted how ^(U)to entangle him in his words. ¹⁶ And they sent ^(V)their disciples to him, along with ^(W)the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, ^(X)we know that you are true and teach ^(Y)the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for ^(Z)you are not swayed by appearances.^{[b] 17} Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay ^(AA)taxes to ^(AB)Caesar, or not?” ¹⁸ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why ^(AC)put me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.^{[c] 20} And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹ They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, ^(AD)“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” ²² When they heard it, they marveled. And they ^(AE)left him and went away.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

²³ The same day ^(AF)Sadducees came to him, ^(AG)who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, ²⁴ saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ^(AH)‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ ²⁵ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ So too the second and third, down to the seventh. ²⁷ After them all, the woman died. ²⁸ In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

²⁹ But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, ^(AI)because you know neither the Scriptures nor ^(AJ)the power of God. ³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither ^(AK)marry nor ^(AL)are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ³¹ And as for the resurrection of the dead, ^(AM)have you not read what was said to you by God: ^32 (AN)‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” ³³ And when the crowd heard it, ^(AO)they were astonished at his teaching.

The Great Commandment

^34 (AP)But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced ^(AQ)the Sadducees, they gathered together. ^35 (AR)And one of them, ^(AS)a lawyer, asked him a question ^(AT)to test him. ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And he said to him, ^(AU)“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the great and first commandment. ³⁹ And ^(AV)a second is like it: ^(AW)You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ^40 (AX)On these two commandments depend ^(AY)all the Law and the Prophets.”

Whose Son Is the Christ?

^41 (AZ)Now while the Pharisees ^(BA)were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, ⁴² saying, “What do you think about ^(BB)the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, ^(BC)“The son of David.” ⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, ^(BD)in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

⁴⁵ If then David calls him Lord, ^(BF)how is he his son?” ^46 (BG)And no one was able to answer him a word, ^(BH)nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Put On the New Self

3 ^(A)If then you have been raised with Christ, seek ^(B)the things that are above, where Christ is, ^(C)seated at the right hand of God. ^2 (D)Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For ^(E)you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ ^(F)who is your^[a] life ^(G)appears, then you also will appear with him ^(H)in glory.

^5 (I)Put to death therefore ^(J)what is earthly in you:^{[b] (K)}sexual immorality, impurity, ^(L)passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^(M)which is idolatry. ^6 (N)On account of these the wrath of God is coming.^{[c] 7 (O)}In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. ⁸ But now ^(P)you must put them all away: ^(Q)anger, wrath, malice, ^(R)slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ^9 (S)Do not lie to one another, seeing that ^(T)you have put off ^(U)the old self^[d] with its practices ¹⁰ and ^(V)have put on ^(W)the new self, ^(X)which is being renewed in knowledge ^(Y)after the image of ^(Z)its creator. ^11 (AA)Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,^[e] free; but Christ is ^(AB)all, and in all.

^12 (AC)Put on then, as ^(AD)God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, ^(AE)compassionate hearts, ^(AF)kindness, ^(AG)humility, meekness, and patience, ^13 (AH)bearing with one another and, ^(AI)if one has a complaint against another, ^(AJ)forgiving each other; ^(AK)as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on ^(AL)love, which ^(AM)binds everything together in ^(AN)perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let ^(AO)the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called ^(AP)in one body. And ^(AQ)be thankful. ¹⁶ Let ^(AR)the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, ^(AS)singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ^(AT)with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And ^(AU)whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^(AV)giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rules for Christian Households

^18 (AW)Wives, submit to your husbands, as ^(AX)is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and ^(AY)do not be harsh with them. ²⁰ Children, obey your parents ^(AZ)in everything, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. ²² Bondservants, obey ^(BA)in everything those who are your earthly masters,^[f] not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ^23 (BB)Whatever you do, work heartily, ^(BC)as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord ^(BD)you will receive the inheritance as your reward. ^(BE)You are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(A)freedom Christ has ^(B)set us free; ^(C)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(D)a yoke of ^(E)slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^(F)if you accept circumcision, ^(G)Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^(H)he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are ^(I)severed from Christ, ^(J)you who would be justified^[a] by the law; ^(K)you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly ^(L)wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus ^(M)neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but ^(N)only faith working through love.

^7 (O)You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying ^(P)the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from ^(Q)him who calls you. ^9 (R)A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ^10 (S)I have confidence in the Lord that you will ^(T)take no other view, and ^(U)the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers,^[b] still preach^[c] circumcision, ^(V)why am I still being persecuted? In that case ^(W)the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish ^(X)those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. ^(Y)Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love ^(Z)serve one another. ¹⁴ For ^(AA)the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ^(AB)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you ^(AC)bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, ^(AD)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^(AE)the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For ^(AF)the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^(AG)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are ^(AH)led by the Spirit, ^(AI)you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now ^(AJ)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^(AK)divisions, ²¹ envy,^[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^(AL)those who do^[e] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But ^(AM)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(AN)love, joy, peace, patience, ^(AO)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 (AP)gentleness, ^(AQ)self-control; ^(AR)against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^(AS)have crucified the flesh with its ^(AT)passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, ^(AU)let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ^26 (AV)Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.