Book of Common Prayer
Warding off the inevitable
15 After those days we made preparations to go up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, and took us to the house of Mnason, an elderly disciple from Cyprus. That was where we were going to be staying.
17 When we came to Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us gladly. 18 On the next day Paul went in with us to see James, with all the elders present. 19 He greeted them and laid out before them everything which God had done through his ministry among the Gentiles, telling it all step by step. 20 They praised God when they heard it.
“You see, brother,” they said, “that there are many thousands of Jews who have believed. They are all of them fiercely enthusiastic for the law. 21 But what they have heard about you is that you teach all the Jews who live among the nations to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children and not to keep the customs. 22 Where does this leave us? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 So do what we tell you: there are four men here who have taken a vow upon themselves. 24 Join in with these men. Purify yourself along with them, and pay the expenses for them as they have their heads shaved. That way everyone will know that there is no truth in the accusations against you, but rather that you too are behaving as a law-observant Jew should. 25 As for the Gentiles who have believed, we have written to them with our decision that they should keep themselves from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from fornication.”
26 So Paul took the men and, the next day, underwent the ritual of purification alongside them. He went into the Temple and made the declaration, stating when the days of purification would be completed and when the time would come for sacrifice to be offered for each of them.
The rich young ruler
17 As he was setting out on the road, a man ran up and knelt down in front of him.
“Good teacher,” he asked, “what should I do to inherit the life of the age to come?”
18 “Why call me ‘good’?” replied Jesus. “No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments:
Don’t kill.
Don’t commit adultery.
Don’t steal.
Don’t swear falsely.
Don’t defraud.
Honor your father and your mother.”
20 “Teacher,” he said, “I’ve kept all of them since I was little.”
21 Jesus looked hard at him, and loved him.
“One more thing,” he said. “Go away, and whatever you possess—sell it, and give it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven! Then: come and follow me.”
22 At that, his face fell, and he went off sadly. He was very wealthy.
23 Jesus looked slowly around. Then he said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were astonished at what he was saying. So Jesus repeated once more, “Children, it’s very hard to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom.”
26 They were totally amazed, and said to each other, “So who then can be saved?”
27 “It’s impossible for mortals,” Jesus said, looking hard at them, “but it’s not impossible for God. All things are possible for God.”
28 “Look here,” Peter started up, “we’ve left everything and followed you.”
29 “I’ll tell you the truth,” replied Jesus. “No one who has left a house, or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children, or lands, because of me and the gospel, 30 will fail to receive back a hundred times more in the present age: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands—with persecutions!—and finally the life of the age to come. 31 But plenty of people at the front will end up at the back, and the back at the front.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.