Book of Common Prayer

¹⁷ My brothers, do as I do, all of you. Look at the people who live the way we have lived.

¹⁸ Many people live as if they hated the cross of Christ. I have often told you about them, and I tell you now with tears.

¹⁹ They will be lost for ever. Their belly is the god they worship. They boast about things they should be ashamed of. They think only about things of this world.

²⁰ But we belong to heaven. And we are waiting for the Saviour to come from heaven. He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

²¹ He will change our body which was made for this world. He will make it like his own wonderful body. He will do this by his power to make all things obey him.

4 And so, my brothers, I love you and want very much to be with you. I am very happy about you. And you are like a prize I have won in a race. My dear people, keep on standing firm and strong in the Lord.

² I beg Euodia and Syntyche to agree to work together. I ask them to be of the same mind in the Lord.

³ I beg you, my real helper, to help these women. They worked hard with me in telling the good news. Clement and my other helpers worked hard with me too. Their names are in God's Book of Life.

⁴ Always be glad for what the Lord has done, I will say it again, be glad.

⁵ Let everyone know that you think kindly of others before yourselves. The Lord is near.

⁶ Do not worry about anything. Talk to God about everything. Thank him for what you have. Ask him for what you need.

⁷ Then God will give you peace, a peace which is too wonderful to understand. That peace will keep your hearts and minds safe as you trust in Christ Jesus.

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John to be baptised by him.

¹⁴ John tried to stop him. He said, `I need to be baptised by you. Why do you come to me to be baptised?'

¹⁵ But Jesus answered, `Please do it now. In this way we shall do all that is right.' Then John let him be baptised.

¹⁶ After Jesus was baptised, he came up out of the water right away. The sky opened. He saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.

¹⁷ A voice from the sky said, `This is my dear Son. I am very pleased with him.'