Book of Common Prayer

13 This is the third time I am coming to you. The holy writings say `Any complaint must be proved by the words of two or three people.'

² I have told you before, when I visited you the second time. And I tell you again now, while I am not there. When I come again, I will punish those who did wrong before and the others who have done wrong since.

³ This will be the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you. No, he shows his power among you.

⁴ It is true that he was weak when he died on a cross. But now he is alive by the power of God. We are weak as he was, but we will also be alive as he is by the power God has. You will see this.

⁵ Look at yourselves and check to see if you still believe. Test yourselves. Do you not know Jesus Christ is in you? If he is not in you, you do not pass the test.

⁶ I hope you will know that we pass the test.

⁷ We ask God to help you that you will do nothing wrong. That is not to show you that we pass the test. We want you to do what is right even if we do not pass the test.

⁸ After all, we have no power to work against what is true, but only for the truth.

⁹ We are glad to be weak, if you are made strong. And we ask God for this too, that you may become perfect.

¹⁰ That is why I am writing these things to you the way I am, before I reach you. Then, when I come to you, I do not want to be hard on you. I do not want to use the power which the Lord has given me. He gave it to me to help to make you better Christians, not to break you down.

¹¹ Now, my brothers, in closing I say, `Goodbye.' Be what you should be. Listen to what I say. Be good to each other. Agree with one another. Live in peace with one another. And the God who gives love and peace will be with you.

²⁵ A woman among them had a sickness for twelve years. She was bleeding all the time.

²⁶ Many doctors tried to heal her. She spent all the money she had to pay them. She was not better, but was getting worse.

²⁷ When she heard of Jesus, she came among the people behind him. Then she reached out and touched his clothes.

²⁸ She said to herself, `If only I touch his clothes, I will be well.'

²⁹ The bleeding stopped right away. She could feel that she was healed of her trouble.

³⁰ Jesus knew right away that power to heal went out from him. He turned around among the people and said, `Who touched my clothes?'

³¹ But his disciples said to him, `You see all these people pushing around you. Why do you ask, "Who touched me?" '

³² He looked around to see who had done it.

³³ The woman was afraid and trembled. She knew what had happened to her. She kneeled down in front of Jesus and told him the truth about herself.

³⁴ He said to her, `Daughter, you were healed because you believed. Go and do not be troubled. You are healed.'