Book of Common Prayer

¹⁸ Children, we are very near the end of time. You have heard that someone will come who is against Christ. Many who are against Christ have already come. That is how we know that we are very near the end of time.

¹⁹ They left us, but they did not belong with us. If they had belonged with us, they would have stayed with us. But they left us so that people could see that all of them did not belong with us.

²⁰ But the Holy One has given you a gift of understanding so that you all may know what is true.

²¹ I write to you, not because you do not know what is true, but because you do know. And you know that no lie is true.

²² Who then is the one who says what is not true? It is the one who says that Jesus is not the Christ. That person is against Christ, because he says there is no Father and there is no Son.

²³ Everyone who says Jesus is not the Son does not know the Father. And everyone who says Jesus is the Son knows the Father.

²⁴ So keep what you have heard from the beginning. If you keep what you have heard from the beginning, you too belong to the Son and to the Father.

²⁵ And he himself has promised us that we will live for ever.

¹⁷ He sent a message from Miletus to Ephesus to call the leaders of the church to come to him.

¹⁸ When they came, he said, `You know how I have lived all the time that I have been with you. I lived that way from the first day I came into Asia.

¹⁹ You know how I have served the Lord without being proud. And I have even cried for you. I served the Lord when I had troubles and when the leaders of the Jews tried to catch me.

²⁰ I have not feared to tell you everything that would help you. I have taught you in meetings and in your homes.

²¹ I have told both the Jews and the Greeks to stop doing wrong things. I have told them to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.

²² `And now I feel in my spirit that I must go to Jerusalem. I do not know what will happen to me there.

²³ But in every city the Holy Spirit tells me I will be put in prison. I will have much trouble.

²⁴ But none of these things trouble me. I do not try to save my life. All I want is to finish what I must do with joy. The work which the Lord Jesus gave me is to tell the good news that God is kind.

²⁵ I know that you all will never see me again. I have told you about God's kingdom.

²⁶ So I tell you today that if any one is lost, it is not my fault.

²⁷ I have not feared to tell you all that God wants you to know.

²⁸ `The Holy Spirit has made you leaders over his people. Watch yourselves. Like one who takes care of his sheep, so you must take care of the church people. They are the Lord's people. He gave his blood for them.

²⁹ I know this, that there are people as bad as wild animals. After I leave you, they will come to you. They will trouble God's people.

³⁰ Also, some men will come from among you. They will teach things that are not true. They want people to follow them.

³¹ So then, watch and remember this. For three years, through the night and in the day, I told every one of you to be careful. I even cried as I told you.

³² `And now, my brothers, I give you to God. I leave with you his word which brings blessing. That word is able to make you strong. It will give you your share in the good things of God promised by him. He gives these good things to people who are pure and holy.

³³ I did not want anyone to give me money or clothes.

³⁴ You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to pay for the things that I and my friends needed.

³⁵ I have always shown you that you must work hard, as I have. You must help those who cannot work. By so doing you are remembering the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, "It makes you more happy to give something than to get something." '