Book of Common Prayer

⁷ It is almost the time when the world will end. So be wise and watch and talk to God.

⁸ Here is something that matters very much. You must love each other very much. Love will cover up many wrong things.

⁹ Be glad to take other Christians into your house and care for them. And do not grumble about it.

¹⁰ God has given each person a gift. That gift is something he can do. Each one should use his gift to help the others. In that way you all make good use of the many blessings God has given you.

¹¹ Has God blessed you by knowing how to talk? Then you should talk the words of God. Are you a helper? Then you should help with the strength God has given you. In all that you do, you should show that God is great through Jesus Christ. He has praise and power for ever. Yes, he has!

¹⁵ After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, `Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said, `Yes, Lord. You know that I like you. I am your friend.' Jesus said to him, `Feed my lambs.'

¹⁶ He asked him the second time, `Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter said, `Yes, Lord. You know that I like you. I am your friend.' Jesus said to him, `Take care of my sheep.'

¹⁷ Then he asked Peter the third time, `Simon son of John, do you like me?' Peter was sad because of the way Jesus asked him the third time. So he answered him, `Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you as a close friend' Jesus said to him, `Feed my sheep.

¹⁸ I tell you the truth. When you were young, you put on your own belt. You went where you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will put out your hands. Others will put your belt on for you. They will take you where you do not want to go.'

¹⁹ Jesus said this to show how Peter would die and make God's name great. When he had finished saying this, he said to him, `Come and follow me!'

²⁰ Peter turned around. The disciple whom Jesus loved was coming with Jesus also. He was the one who was at Jesus' right side at the supper table. He had said to Jesus, `Lord, who will give you over to people who hate you?'

²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, `Lord, what about this man?'

²² Jesus said to him, `If I want him to wait till I come, what is that to you? I want you to come and follow me.'

²³ So the report went around among the brothers that that disciple would not die. Jesus had not said to him, `You will not die.' But he had said, `If I want him to wait till I come, what is that to you?'

²⁴ The same disciple said these things and wrote them. We know what he said is true.

²⁵ Jesus did many other things also. If every one were written down, I think that the world would be too small to hold all the books that would need to be written. Yes, it is so!