Book of Common Prayer
The persecuted church
13 So, therefore, we thank God constantly that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of a mere human being but—as it really is!—the word of God which is at work in you believers. 14 For, my dear family, you came to copy God’s assemblies in Judaea in the Messiah, Jesus. You suffered the same things from your own people as they did from those of the Judaeans 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and who expelled us. They displease God; they oppose all people; 16 they forbid us to speak to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. This has had the effect, all along, of completing the full total of their sins. But the fury has come upon them for good.
Paul’s joy and crown
17 As for us, my dear family, we were snatched away from you for a short time, in person though not in heart. We longed eagerly, with a great desire, to see you face to face. 18 That’s why we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but the satan got in our way.
19 Don’t you see? When our Lord Jesus is present once more, what is our hope, our joy, the crown of our boasting before him? It’s you! 20 Yes: you are our glory and our joy.
19 The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on him then and there. But they were afraid of the people, because they knew that Jesus had told this parable against them.
On paying taxes to Caesar
20 So the authorities watched Jesus, and sent people to lie in wait for him. They pretended to be upright folk, but were trying to trap him in something he said, so that they could hand him over to the rule and authority of the governor. 21 So they asked him this question.
“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach with integrity. You are completely impartial, and you teach God’s way and God’s truth. 22 So: is it right for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”
23 Jesus knew they were playing a trick.
24 “Show me a tribute-coin,” he said. “This image . . . and this inscription . . . who do they belong to?”
“Caesar,” they said.
25 “Well, then,” replied Jesus, “you’d better give Caesar back what belongs to him! And give God back what belongs to him.”
26 They couldn’t catch him in anything he said in front of the people. They were amazed at his answer, and had nothing more to say.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.