Book of Common Prayer
Children of God, led by the spirit
12 So then, my dear family, we are in debt—but not to human flesh, to live our life in that way. 13 If you live in accordance with the flesh, you will die; but if, by the spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 All who are led by the spirit of God, you see, are God’s children. 15 You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery, did you, to go back again into a state of fear? But you received the spirit of sonship, in whom we call out “Abba, Father!” 16 When that happens, it is the spirit itself giving supporting witness to what our own spirit is saying, that we are God’s children. 17 And if we’re children, we are also heirs: heirs of God, and fellow heirs with the Messiah, as long as we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Paying taxes to Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might trap him into saying the wrong thing. 16 They sent their followers to him, with the Herodians.
“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are truthful, and that you teach God’s way truthfully. You don’t care what anyone thinks about you, because you don’t try to flatter people or favor them. 17 So tell us what you think. Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar, or not?”
18 Jesus knew their evil intentions.
“Why are you trying to trick me, you hypocrites?” he said. 19 “Show me the tribute coin.” They brought him a dinar.
20 “This . . . image,” said Jesus, “and this . . . inscription. Who do they belong to?”
21 “Caesar,” they said.
“Well then,” said Jesus, “you’d better give Caesar back what belongs to Caesar! And—give God what belongs to God!”
22 When they heard that they were astonished. They left him and went away.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.