Book of Common Prayer

Paul confronts Peter in Antioch

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I stood up to him face to face. He was in the wrong. ¹² Before certain persons came from James, Peter was eating with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, because he was afraid of the circumcision-people. ¹³ The rest of the Jews did the same, joining him in this play-acting. Even Barnabas was carried along by their sham. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they weren’t walking straight down the line of gospel truth, I said to Cephas in front of them all: “Look here: you’re a Jew, but you’ve been living like a Gentile. How can you force Gentiles to become Jews?”

Justified by faith, not works of law

¹⁵ We are Jews by birth, not “Gentile sinners.” ¹⁶ But we know that a person is not declared “righteous” by works of the Jewish law, but through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah.

That is why we too believed in the Messiah, Jesus: so that we might be declared “righteous” on the basis of the Messiah’s faithfulness, and not on the basis of works of the Jewish law. On that basis, you see, no creature will be declared “righteous.”

¹⁷ Well, then; if, in seeking to be declared “righteous” in the Messiah, we ourselves are found to be “sinners,” does that make the Messiah an agent of “sin”? Certainly not! ¹⁸ If I build up once more the things which I tore down, I demonstrate that I am a lawbreaker.

¹⁹ Let me explain it like this. Through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with the Messiah. ²⁰ I am, however, alive—but it isn’t me any longer, it’s the Messiah who lives in me. And the life I do still live in the flesh, I live within the faithfulness of the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

²¹ I don’t set aside God’s grace. If “righteousness” comes through the law, then the Messiah died for nothing.

The death of John the Baptist

14 At that time Herod the Tetrarch heard reports about Jesus.

² “This fellow must be John the Baptist,” he said to his servants. “He’s been raised from the dead! That’s why these powers are at work in him.”

³ This is what had happened. Herod had seized John, tied him up and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. ⁴ John had been telling him that it wasn’t right for him to have her. ⁵ Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the crowd, because they reckoned that John was a prophet.

⁶ When Herod’s birthday came around, the daughter of Herodias danced for the assembled company, and delighted Herod. ⁷ So he swore a great oath that he would give her whatever she requested. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me—here, on a platter—the head of John the Baptizer!” ⁹ The king was sorry; but because of his oaths, and his guests, he gave orders for it to be given to her. ¹⁰ He sent to the prison and had John beheaded. ¹¹ His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she passed it on to her mother. ¹² His disciples came and took away the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.