Book of Common Prayer
Bread from heaven
26 This was Jesus’ reply.
“I’m telling you the solemn truth,” he said. “You aren’t looking for me because you saw signs, but because you ate as much bread as you could. 27 You shouldn’t be working for perishable food, but for food that will last to the life of God’s coming age—the food which the son of man will give you, the person whom God the father has stamped with the seal of his approval.”
28 “What should we be doing,” they asked him, “so that we can be doing the work God wants?”
29 “This is the work God wants of you,” replied Jesus, “that you believe in the one he sent.”
30 “Well, then,” they said to him, “what sign are you going to do, so that we can see it and believe you? What work are you doing? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; it says in the Bible that ‘he gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
32 “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” Jesus replied. “It wasn’t Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. It was my father who gave you the true bread from heaven. 33 God’s bread, you see, is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Master,” they said, “give us this bread—give it to us always!”
35 “I am the bread of life,” replied Jesus. “Anyone who comes to me will never be hungry! Anyone who believes in me will never be thirsty!”
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.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.