Book of Common Prayer

¹⁵ After that, we took our things and went to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ Some of the Christians from Caesarea went with us. One of them was Mnason, a man born in Cyprus. He was one of the first Christian believers. We stayed in his house.

¹⁷ When we reached Jerusalem, the Christian brothers were glad to see us.

¹⁸ The next day Paul went with us to see James. All the church leaders were there.

¹⁹ First, Paul greeted them. Then he told them one by one the things God had done as he worked among the people who were not Jews.

²⁰ When they heard it, they praised the Lord. They said to Paul, `Brother, there are many thousands of Jews who believe. They all say we must obey the law of Moses.

²¹ They have heard that you teach all the Jews who live in other lands. They heard that you tell them not to obey Moses' law: that they need not circumcise their children like the Jews do; and they can leave the Jewish ways of living.

²² What should we do about it? Many people will gather together because they will surely hear that you have come.

²³ Now then, do the thing we tell you. We have four men who have made a promise.

²⁴ Take them with you. Make yourself clean with them, the way the law says to do. Pay the cost for having their hair cut. Then all the people will know that all the things they heard about you are not true. They will know that you live the way the law says you should live.

²⁵ We sent a letter to those who are not Jews and have believed. Here is what we told them they must not do. They must not touch things that have been given to idols. They must not taste blood. They must not eat the meat of animals that were killed by choking. And they must not take part in any kind of wrong sexual behaviour between men and women.'

²⁶ Then Paul took the men with him. The next day he made himself clean with them the way the law says to do. Then he went into the temple. He told the priests which day they would finish making themselves clean. On that day a sacrifice would be made for each one of them.

¹⁷ Jesus started on the way again. A man came running and kneeled down before him. He said, `Good Teacher, what must I do so that I will live for ever?'

¹⁸ Jesus said, `Why do you call me good? Only God is good.

¹⁹ You know the laws: "Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not tell lies. Do not cheat. Respect your father and your mother." '

²⁰ The man answered Jesus. He said, `Teacher, I have kept all those laws since I was a boy.'

²¹ Jesus looked at him. He loved him. He said, `You need one thing more. Go home. Sell everything you have. Give the money to the poor people. You will be rich in heaven. So be ready to carry your own cross and come with me.'

²² When the young man heard that, he was sad, because he was very rich. So he went away.

²³ Then Jesus looked around at his disciples and said to them, `It is very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God.'

²⁴ The disciples were surprised at his words. But Jesus said again, `Children, it is very hard for people who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God.

²⁵ It is easier for a big animal to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'

²⁶ They were very much surprised. They said, `Then who can be saved?'

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, `Men cannot do it but God can, because God can do anything.'

²⁸ Peter began to speak and said to him, `See, we have left all things and have come with you.'

³⁰ Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. If any man has left his house, or his brothers, or his sisters, his mother, or his father, or his children, or farms, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, he will receive his pay in this life. He will have a hundred times as many houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and farms. He will have trouble also. But in the next world he will live for ever.

³¹ But many people who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first.'