Book of Common Prayer

¹⁵ Those of us who are mature should think like this! If you think differently about it, God will reveal this to you as well. ¹⁶ Only let’s be sure to keep in line with the position we have reached.

Citizens of heaven

¹⁷ So, my dear family, I want you, all together, to watch what I do and copy me. You’ve got us as a pattern of behavior; pay careful attention to people who follow it.

¹⁸ You see, there are several people who behave as enemies of the cross of the Messiah. I told you about them often enough, and now I’m weeping as I say it again. ¹⁹ They are on the road to destruction; their stomach is their god, and they find glory in their own shame. All they ever think about is what’s on the earth.

²⁰ We are citizens of heaven, you see, and we’re eagerly waiting for the savior, the Lord, Messiah Jesus, who is going to come from there. ²¹ Our present body is a shabby old thing, but he’s going to transform it so that it’s just like his glorious body. And he’s going to do this by the power which makes him able to bring everything into line under his authority.

The seed must die

²⁰ Some Greeks had come up with all the others to worship at the festival. ²¹ They went to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee.

“Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”

²² Philip went and told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip went together to tell Jesus.

²³ “The time has come,” said Jesus in reply. “This is the moment for the son of man to be glorified. ²⁴ I’m telling you the solemn truth: unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains all by itself. If it dies, though, it will produce lots of fruit. ²⁵ If you love your life, you’ll lose it. If you hate your life in this world, you’ll keep it for the life of the coming age.

²⁶ “If anyone serves me, they must follow me. Where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the father will honor them.”