Book of Common Prayer

²⁸ We know that God works out everything for the good of those who love him. They are the people who are part of his plan.

²⁹ He knew all along that he would choose them. He chose them to be made like his Son. Then his Son would be the first one of many brothers.

³⁰ He chose them and he also called them. He called them to himself as if they had never been bad people. He made them right with himself and he also made them great in heaven.

³¹ So what shall we say about this? If God is on our side, who can be against us?

³² He did not keep his own Son, but gave him up for us all. Because he has given him to us, will he not also give us all other things?

³³ Who will say anything against God's chosen people? For it is God himself who says they have been put right with him.

³⁴ Who will say they are not right? Jesus Christ died. Yes, he was raised from death. He is at the right side of God. And he talks to God for us.

³⁵ Who can take us away from Christ's love? We may have trouble. We may have hard times. People may make us suffer because we believe. We may have no food to eat and no clothes to wear. We may be in danger. We may be killed with big knives. Can any of these things take us away from Christ's love?

³⁶ The holy writings say, `For your sake we are killed all day. We are like sheep ready to be killed.'

³⁷ But Christ loved us. He has helped us to win great victory in all these things.

³⁹ I know this. Death, life, angels, rulers, things happening now, things that will happen, high things, low things; nothing else in all the world can come between us and God's love in Christ Jesus our Lord.

⁵² The leaders of the Jews began to quarrel with each other about what Jesus said. They said, `How can he give us himself to eat?'

⁵³ Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. If you do not eat the Son of Man and do not drink his blood, you will not have life.

⁵⁴ Anyone who eats me and drinks my blood will live for ever. I will raise him up at the last day.

⁵⁵ I am real food, and my blood is real drink.

⁵⁶ Anyone who eats me and drinks my blood is in me and I in him.

⁵⁷ My Father is living. He sent me. I have my life from him. In the same way, the person who eats of me will live because of me.

⁵⁸ This bread which came down from heaven is not like the bread that your fathers ate. They ate bread but they died. Anyone who eats this bread from heaven will live for ever.'

⁵⁹ Jesus was in the meeting house in Capernaum when he was teaching people these things.