Book of Common Prayer
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it is speaking to those who are “in the law.” The purpose of this is that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be brought to the bar of God’s judgment. 20 No mere mortal, you see, can be declared to be in the right before God on the basis of the works of the law. What you get through the law is the knowledge of sin.
The unveiling of God’s covenant justice
21 But now, quite apart from the law (though the law and the prophets bore witness to it), God’s covenant justice has been displayed. 22 God’s covenant justice comes into operation through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah, for the benefit of all who have faith. For there is no distinction: 23 all sinned, and fell short of God’s glory— 24 and by God’s grace they are freely declared to be in the right, to be members of the covenant, through the redemption which is found in the Messiah, Jesus.
Jesus’ death reveals God’s covenant justice
25 God put Jesus forth as the place of mercy, through faithfulness, by means of his blood. He did this to demonstrate his covenant justice, because of the passing over (in divine forbearance) of sins committed beforehand. 26 This was to demonstrate his covenant justice in the present time: that is, that he himself is in the right, and that he declares to be in the right everyone who trusts in the faithfulness of Jesus.
The God of both Jew and Gentile
27 So what happens to boasting? It is ruled out! Through what sort of law? The law of works? No: through the law of faith! 28 We calculate, you see, that a person is declared to be in the right on the basis of faith, apart from works of the law. 29 Or does God belong only to Jews? Doesn’t he belong to the nations as well? Yes, of course, to the nations as well, 30 since God is one. He will make the declaration “in the right” over the circumcised on the basis of faith, and over the uncircumcised through faith.
31 Do we then abolish the law through faith? Certainly not! Rather, we establish the law.
Jesus and his brothers
7 After this, Jesus went about in Galilee. He didn’t want to go about in Judaea, because the Judaeans were after his blood.
2 The time came for the Jewish festival of Tabernacles. 3 So Jesus’ brothers approached him.
“Leave this place,” they said, “and go to Judaea! Then your disciples will see the works you’re doing. 4 Nobody who wants to become well known does things in secret. If you’re doing these things, show yourself to the world!”
5 Even his brothers, you see, didn’t believe in him.
6 “My time isn’t here yet,” replied Jesus, “but your time is always here. 7 The world can’t hate you, but it hates me, because I am giving evidence against it, showing that its works are evil. 8 I tell you what: you go up to the feast. I’m not going up to this feast; my time is not yet complete.”
9 With these words, he stayed behind in Galilee.
Disputes about Jesus
10 But when Jesus’ brothers had gone up to the festival, then he himself went up, not openly, but, so to speak, in secret. 11 The Judaeans were looking for him at the feast.
“Where is he?” they were saying.
12 There was considerable dispute about him among the crowds.
“He’s a good man!” some were saying.
“No, he isn’t,” others would reply. “He’s deceiving the people!”
13 But nobody dared speak about him openly, for fear of the Judaeans.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.