Book of Common Prayer

¹⁶ You know that you are God's house. The spirit of God lives in you.

¹⁷ God will punish anyone who spoils his house. His house is holy, and you are the house.

¹⁸ Do not be fooled. If any one of you thinks that he is wise in the things of this world, he should count himself as not being wise. Then he would really be wise.

¹⁹ The things that look wise to the people of this world look foolish to God. The holy writings say, `He catches the wise people in their own tricks.'

²⁰ It also says, `The Lord knows that the wise men's thoughts are good for nothing.'

²¹ So do not be proud of men. Everything belongs to you.

²² Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the things which are now, and the things which are to come, everything is yours!

²³ And you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God!

¹¹ `God makes you happy when people say wrong things about you, when they trouble you, and when they say all kinds of lies about you. God makes you happy when it is for my sake.

¹² Be happy and glad because God will be good to you in heaven. In the same way people troubled the prophets before your time.'

¹³ `You are like salt in the world. If salt has lost its taste, how can it be made salty again? Salt that has no taste is good for nothing. The only thing to do is to throw it out on the road.

¹⁴ `You are like light in the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.

¹⁵ So also with a lamp. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket. But they put it on the place for a lamp. Then all the people in the house can see its light.

¹⁶ So, let your light shine to all people. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will praise your Father in heaven.'