Book of Common Prayer

³² I want your minds to be free. The man who is not married thinks about the things of the Lord. He tries to please the Lord.

³³ But the man who is married thinks about the things of this world. He tries to please his wife.

³⁴ In the same way, there is a difference between the woman who is married and the one who is not. The woman who is not married thinks about the things of the Lord. She wants her body and her spirit to be holy. But the married woman thinks about the things of this life. She tries to please her husband.

³⁵ I say this to help you, not to make it hard for you. I want to show you what is good. I do not want anything to stop you from serving the Lord.

³⁶ And if a man feels that he is doing the right thing for the woman he is to marry, then let him marry her. That is, if she is no longer young, and if he wants her very much. Then he must do as he thinks best. It is not wrong for him to do it.

³⁷ But the man who has made up his mind not to marry his woman will do well. That is, if he does not have to marry her, and is able to control himself, and if he is sure about it in his own mind.

³⁸ So the man who marries his woman will do what is good. But the man who does not marry her will do better.

³⁹ A wife may not leave her husband as long as he is living. But if he dies, she is free to marry any man she wants. Only this, he must be a Christian.

⁴⁰ But I think that she is happier if she stays as she is and does not marry again. (I think too that I am saying what the Spirit of God wants me to say in this matter.)

6 Jesus left that place and went back to his home town. His disciples went with him.

² On the Sabbath day he began to teach in the meeting house again. Many people who heard him were very much surprised and said, `Where did he learn all this? Where did he get the power to do these big works?

³ Is he not the carpenter? Is not Mary his mother? Are not James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Are not his sisters here with us?' The people did not understand Jesus.

⁴ Jesus said to them, `Other people honour a man who is a prophet of God. But the people in his own country, his own home, and his family, do not honour him.'

⁵ Jesus could not do any big works in that place. But he put his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

⁶ He was surprised that the people did not believe him. He went out to the villages, teaching the people.

⁷ He called the twelve disciples to him and sent them out two by two. He gave them power to drive bad spirits out of people.

⁸ He said, `Take only a walking stick with you when you go. Do not take anything else. Do not take any food, or a bag, or money.

⁹ Wear shoes, but do not take extra clothing with you.

¹⁰ When you go into a certain house, live there until you leave the town.

¹¹ In some places the people will not take you in. They will not listen to what you say. When you leave such a town, shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them. I tell you the truth. On the day when people are judged, the people in that town will be punished harder than the people in the country of Sodom and Gomorrah.'

¹² The disciples went out and told the people that they should stop doing wrong things.

¹³ They drove bad spirits out of many people. They also put oil on many sick people and healed them.