Book of Common Prayer

² You are doing well. You remember everything I told you. And you are doing what I taught you to do.

¹⁷ In the next thing I have to talk about, I cannot say that you are doing well. Your meeting together is more bad than good.

¹⁸ First, I hear that in the church meeting you divide yourselves into groups. I think this may be true.

¹⁹ You also have groups of people who do not think the same way. Because of them you will soon learn which people please God the most.

²⁰ When you meet together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat.

²¹ People take their own food and eat it without waiting. One gets nothing to eat. Another person drinks too much.

²² Do you not have your own homes where you can eat and drink? Do you have no respect for the church of God? Do you want to make poor people ashamed? What shall I say to you? Shall I say you are doing well? No, you are not doing well in this matter!

9 Jesus got in the boat and crossed the sea. He came to his own town.

² Some men brought a sick man to him. The man could not move his arms or legs. He was lying on a bed. Jesus saw that they believed he would be healed. So he said to the sick man, `My son, be glad! The wrong things you have done are forgiven.'

³ Some of the scribes were thinking, `This man is not giving respect to God.'

⁴ Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said, `Why do you think these wrong things in your heart?

⁵ Which is easier, to say, "The wrong things you have done are forgiven," or to say, "Get up and walk"?

⁶ I want you to know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive wrong things people have done.' So he said to the sick man, `Get up. Make up your bed and go home.'

⁷ The man got up and went home.

⁸ Many people saw this and were much surprised. They praised God who had given such power to men.