Book of Common Prayer

The Son Is The Preeminent Head of All Creation, Because He Created All Things

¹⁵ ... Who is the image^[a] of the invisible God, the firstborn^[b] of ^[c] all creation^[d], ¹⁶ because all things were created by^[e] Him in the heavens and on the earth, the visible things and the invisible things— whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ And He Himself is before all things, and all things have existence^[f] in Him. ¹⁸ And He Himself is the head of the body, the church.

The Son Is First In Everything, Because God Reconciled All Things Through Him

... Who is the beginning^[g], the firstborn from the dead, in order that He Himself might come-to-be holding-first-place in all things, ¹⁹ because the Father^[h] was well-pleased that all the fullness^[i] should dwell in Him ²⁰ and that He should reconcile all things through Him to Himself, having made-peace through the blood of His cross— through Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens.

Indeed, You Yourselves Were Reconciled By Him

²¹ Indeed you were formerly being excluded, and were enemies^[j] in the mind in-connection-with evil works. ²² But now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh^[k] through His death, that He might present you holy and without-blemish and blameless in His presence— ²³ if indeed^[l] you continue in the faith, having been founded, and steadfast, and not being moved-away from the hope of the good-news which you heard, the one having been proclaimed in^[m] all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister^[n].

After Choosing The Twelve, Jesus Stands Before a Huge Crowd To Teach Them

¹² And it came about during these days that He went out to the mountain to pray. And He was spending the night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when it became day, He called to His disciples. And having chosen twelve from them, whom He also named apostles— ¹⁴ Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew, his brother, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, ¹⁵ and Matthew, and Thomas, and James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, the one being called a Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas, the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor— ¹⁷ and having come down with them, He stood on a level place. And there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal-region of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who came to hear Him and to be healed from their diseases. And the ones being troubled by unclean spirits were being cured. ¹⁹ And all the multitude were seeking to touch Him because power was going forth from Him and healing everyone.

These Are The Ones God Considers Blessed And In Danger

²⁰ And He, having lifted-up His eyes toward His disciples, was saying— “Blessed^[a] are the poor ones, because the kingdom of God is yours. ²¹ Blessed are the ones hungering now, because you will be filled-to-satisfaction. Blessed are the ones weeping now, because you will laugh. ²² You are blessed whenever people hate you, and whenever they separate^[b] you, and reproach you, and throw-out your name as evil because-of ^[c] the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice on that day and leap-for-joy, for behold— your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers were doing it in the same way to the prophets. ²⁴ But woe to you rich ones, because you are receiving your comfort in full. ²⁵ Woe to you, the ones having been filled now, because you will hunger. Woe— the ones laughing now, because you will mourn and weep. ²⁶ Woe— when all people speak well of you. For their fathers were doing it in the same way to the false-prophets.