Book of Common Prayer

Paul Arrives In Jerusalem

¹⁵ And after these days, having made-preparations, we were going up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ And some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, bringing^[a] us to Mnason— a certain Cyprian, an old disciple, with whom we might lodge. ¹⁷ And we having come-to-be in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.

Paul Meets James. They Formulate a Plan For His Acceptance Among The Jews

¹⁸ And on the following day Paul was going in with us to James, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹ And having greeted them, he was describing individually each of the things which God did among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ And the ones, having heard it, were glorifying God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of the ones having believed there are among the Jews! And they are all zealots^[b] for the Law. ²¹ And they were informed about you— that you are teaching all the Jews^[c] throughout the nations apostasy from Moses, saying that they should not be circumcising their children, nor walking in their customs. ²² What, then, is to be done? They will surely hear that you have come. ²³ Therefore do this which we tell you: There are four men with us having a vow upon themselves. ²⁴ Having taken along these men, be purified together-with them. And spend^[d] money for them, so that they will shave^[e] the head. And everyone will know that there is nothing true of the things which they have been informed about you, but even you yourself are walking-in-line^[f], keeping the Law. ²⁵ But concerning the Gentiles having believed— we wrote-to them, having determined that they should guard-themselves as to food-sacrificed-to-an-idol and blood and the strangled thing and sexual immorality”.

While Executing The Plan, Paul Is Recognized By Ephesian Jews And Attacked

²⁶ Then Paul— having taken along the men on the next day, having been purified together-with them— was going into the temple, giving-notice as to the completion of the days of purification, until which time the offering was offered for each one of them.

Jesus Calls Levi The Tax Collector And Eats With His Friends. I Came For Sinners

²⁷ And after these things, He went out and saw a tax-collector, Levi by name, sitting at the tax-office^[a]. And He said to him, “Be following Me!” ²⁸ And having left-behind everything, having stood up, he was following Him. ²⁹ And Levi made a great reception^[b] for Him in his house. And there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining [to eat] with them. ³⁰ And the Pharisees and their scribes were grumbling to His disciples, saying, “For what reason are you eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners^[c]?” ³¹ And having responded, Jesus said to them, “The ones being healthy have no need of a physician, but the ones being ill. ³² I have not come to call righteous ones to repentance, but sinners”.

Why Do Your Disciples Not Fast? The Bridegroom Is Here. New Wineskins

³³ And the ones said to Him, “The disciples of John are fasting^[d] frequently and making prayers. Likewise also the ones of the Pharisees. But Yours are eating and drinking”. ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the sons^[e] of the wedding-hall fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? ³⁵ But days will come. And when the bridegroom is taken-away from them, then they will fast in those days”. ³⁶ And He was also speaking a parable to them, that “No one having torn a patch from a new garment puts it on an old garment. Otherwise indeed he^[f] will both tear the new, and the patch from the new will not agree^[g] with the old. ³⁷ And no one puts new^[h] wine into old wineskins. Otherwise indeed the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will spill-out, and the wineskins will be ruined. ³⁸ But new wine must-be-put into fresh wineskins. ³⁹ And no one having drunk old wine desires^[i] new. For he says, ‘The old is good’”.