Book of Common Prayer
Final exhortations
12 This, my dear family, is the request we make of you. Take note of those who work among you and exercise leadership over you in the Lord, those who give you instruction. 13 Give them the highest possible rank of love because of their work. Live at peace among yourselves.
14 And we beg you, my dear family: warn those who step out of line; console the downcast; help the weak; be warm-hearted and patient towards everybody. 15 Make sure nobody pays anyone back evil for evil. Instead, always find the way to do good to one another, and to everybody.
16 Always celebrate,
17 never stop praying;
18 in everything be thankful
(this is God’s will for you in the Messiah Jesus);
19 don’t quench the spirit,
20 don’t look down on prophecies,
21 test everything,
if something is good, hold it fast;
22 if something looks evil, keep well away.
Final blessings and charge
23 Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy. May your complete spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. 24 The one who calls you is faithful; he will do it.
25 My dear family, pray for us.
26 Greet the whole family with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you by the Lord to have this letter read to the whole family.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah be with you.
29 He told them this parable. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they are well into leaf, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is upon you. 31 In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you will know that God’s kingdom is upon you. 32 I’m telling you the truth; this generation won’t be gone before all of this happens. 33 Heaven and earth may disappear, but these words of mine won’t disappear.”
Watching for the son of man
34 “So watch out for yourselves,” said Jesus. “Don’t let your hearts grow heavy with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life, letting that day come upon you suddenly, 35 like a trap. It will come, you see, on everyone who lives on the face of the earth. 36 Keep awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the son of man.”
37 Jesus was teaching in the Temple by day, but at night he went out and stayed in the place called the Mount of Olives. 38 From early morning all the people flocked to him in the Temple, to hear him.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.