Book of Common Prayer

Many members, one body

¹² Let me explain. Just as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is the Messiah. ¹³ For we all were baptized into one body, by one spirit—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one spirit to drink.

¹⁴ For the body, indeed, is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot were to say, “Because I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body, would it? ¹⁶ And if the ear were to say, “Because I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body, would it? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were the sense of hearing, what would happen to the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But as it is, God has organized the members, placing each one individually in the body according to his wishes. ¹⁹ If all the parts were one member, where would the body be? ²⁰ So the result is this: there are many members, but one body.

The responsibilities of each member

²¹ The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you”; and, again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” ²² No: the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, ²³ and we give much greater honor to the parts of the body we reckon more dishonorable, so that the parts we hide in shame have a far greater dignity ²⁴ which our more presentable parts don’t need. In fact, God has made the body a single, organized whole; he has given greater honor to the lesser part, ²⁵ so that there won’t be any division in the body, but that all the members may have the same concern for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. If one member is exalted, all the members celebrate along with it.

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples came to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who are people saying that I am?”

²⁸ “John the Baptist,” they said, “or, some say, Elijah; or, others say, one of the prophets.”

²⁹ “What about you?” asked Jesus. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter spoke up. “You’re the Messiah,” he said.

³⁰ He gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus predicts his death

³¹ Jesus now began to teach them something new.

“There’s big trouble in store for the son of man,” he said. “The elders, the chief priests and the scribes are going to reject him. He will be killed—and after three days he’ll be raised.” ³² He said all this quite explicitly.

At this, Peter took him aside and started to scold him. ³³ But he turned round, saw the disciples, and scolded Peter.

“Get behind me, Accuser!” he said. “You’re thinking human thoughts, not God’s thoughts.”

³⁴ He called the crowd to him, with his disciples. “If any of you want to come the way I’m going,” he said, “you must say ‘no’ to your own selves, pick up your cross, and follow me. ³⁵ Yes: if you want to save your life, you’ll lose it; but if you lose your life because of me and the message you’ll save it. ³⁶ After all, what use is it to win the world and lose your life? ³⁷ What can you give in exchange for your life? ³⁸ If you’re ashamed of me and my words in this cheating and sinning generation, the son of man will be ashamed of you when he ‘comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels.’

9 “I’m telling you the truth,” he said; “some people standing here won’t experience death before they see God’s kingdom come in power.”