Book of Common Prayer

For Some Have Turned Away From Me. But Not All

¹⁵ You know this— that all the ones in^[a] Asia turned-away-from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. ¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed-of my chain, ¹⁷ but having come-to-be in Rome, he sought me diligently and found me. ¹⁸ May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you know very-well how many things he ministered in Ephesus.

Become Strong In Grace, My Child, And Suffer Hardship With Me Like a Good Soldier

2 Therefore you, my child, become-strong in^[b] the grace in Christ Jesus. ² And the things which you heard from me through many witnesses, these things deposit^[c] with faithful people who will be competent^[d] to teach others also. ³ Suffer-hardship with me like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Consider the Soldier, Athlete And Farmer

⁴ No one while serving-as-a-soldier entangles himself in the affairs of life, in order that he may please the one having enlisted him. ⁵ And also if one competes [in an athletic contest], he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully. ⁶ The laboring farmer must^[e] be first to receive-a-share of the fruits. ⁷ Be considering what I am saying, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Remember Jesus Christ And The Gospel For Which I Am Imprisoned

⁸ Be remembering Jesus Christ having been raised from the dead, from the seed of David, according to my good-news— ⁹ in connection with which^[f] I am suffering-hardship to the point of imprisonment like a criminal. Nevertheless the Word of God has not been bound^[g]! ¹⁰ For this reason, I am enduring all things for the sake of the chosen ones, in order that they also may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

If We Endure, We Will Reign With Him. He Will Be Faithful To Us

¹¹ The saying is trustworthy— for if we died-with Him, we will also live-with Him; ¹² if we are enduring, we will also reign-with Him; if we shall deny Him, that One also will deny us; ¹³ if we are faithless^[h], that One remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Jesus Goes Into Judea. The Crowds Come To Him And He Teaches Them

10 And having arisen, He goes from there into the districts^[a] of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again are coming-together to Him. And as He was accustomed, He again was teaching them.

Pharisees Test Jesus With a Question About Divorce. Divorce Is Not God’s Plan

² And Pharisees having come to Him were asking Him if it is lawful for a husband to send-away^[b] a wife— testing Him. ³ And the One, having responded, said to them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ And the ones said, “Moses permitted us to write a certificate^[c] of divorce and send her away”. ⁵ But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment to you because-of your hardness-of-heart. ⁶ But from the beginning of creation, ‘He made them male and female’ [Gen 1:27]. ⁷ ‘For this^[d] reason, a man will leave-behind his father and mother and will be joined^[e] to his wife. ⁸ And the two will be one flesh’ [Gen 2:24]. So then, they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God paired-together^[f], let a person^[g] not separate”. ¹⁰ And the disciples were questioning Him again about this in the house, ¹¹ and He says to them, “Whoever sends-away his wife and marries another is committing-adultery against her. ¹² And if she, having sent-away her husband, marries another, she is committing-adultery”.

Jesus Blesses The Children. Of Such Is The Kingdom of God

¹³ And they were bringing children to Him in order that He might touch them. But the disciples rebuked them^[h]. ¹⁴ But Jesus, having seen it, was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to be coming to Me. Do not be forbidding them. For the kingdom of God is of ^[i] such ones. ¹⁵ Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never^[j] enter into it”. ¹⁶ And having taken them in His arms, He was blessing^[k] them, while laying His hands on them.