Book of Common Prayer
So We Don’t Lose Heart In This Ministry Or Its Reception; God Is Shining Through Us
4 For this reason, having this ministry even-as[a] we received-mercy, we do not lose-heart. 2 But we renounced the hidden things of [b] shame, not walking in craftiness[c], nor handling-deceitfully[d] the word of God, but by the open-disclosure of the truth, commending[e] ourselves to every conscience of mankind[f] in the sight of God. 3 And if indeed our good-news is veiled, it is veiled in the ones perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this age blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they might not see[g] the illumination of the good-news of the glory of Christ— Who is the image of God. 5 For we are not proclaiming ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus, 6 because God, the One having said “Light will shine out of darkness”, is He Who shined in our hearts for[h] the illumination of [i] the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
God Is Making Life Known Through Clay Vessels Handed Over To Death
7 But[j] we have this treasure in vessels made-of-clay, in order that the excess[k] of the power may be God’s and not from us— 8 in every way being afflicted[l] but not restrained[m], being perplexed but not utterly-perplexed, 9 being persecuted but not forsaken, being struck down but not perishing; 10 at-all-times carrying-around in our body the dying[n] of Jesus in order that the life of Jesus may also be made-evident[o] in our body. 11 For we the ones living are always being handed-over to death for the sake of Jesus, in order that the life of Jesus may also be made-evident in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death is at-work in us, but life in you.
10 The one trustworthy[a] in a very-little thing is also trustworthy in much. And the one unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much. 11 Therefore if you did not prove-to-be trustworthy with unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true[b] thing to you? 12 And if you did not prove-to-be trustworthy with the thing belonging to another[c], who will give you your own thing? 13 No household-servant can be serving[d] two masters. For either he will hate[e] the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and disregard the other. You cannot be serving God and wealth[f]”.
Jesus Rebukes The Pharisees: The Thing You Highly Value Is Worthless To God
14 Now the Pharisees, being money-lovers, were listening-to all these things, and they were sneering-at[g] Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are the ones declaring yourselves righteous in the sight of people, but God knows your hearts— because the highly-valued thing among people is an abomination[h] in the sight of God. 16 The Law and the Prophets were until John. From that time on, the kingdom of God is being announced-as-good-news, and everyone is forcing-himself [i] into it. 17 But it is easier that the heaven and the earth should pass away than that one stroke[j] of the Law should fail. 18 Everyone sending-away[k] his wife and marrying another is committing-adultery. And the one marrying one having been sent-away from her husband is committing-adultery.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing