Book of Common Prayer
Let us have real Christian behaviour
9 Let us have no imitation Christian love. Let us have a genuine break with evil and a real devotion to good.
10 Let us have real warm affection for one another as between brothers, and a willingness to let the other man have the credit.
11 Let us not allow slackness to spoil our work and let us keep the fires of the spirit burning, as we do our work for God.
12 Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently, steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer.
13 Give freely to fellow-Christians in want, never grudging a meal or a bed to those who need them.
14 And as for those who try to make your life a misery, bless them. Don’t curse, bless.
15 Share the happiness of those who are happy, the sorrow of those who are sad.
16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t become snobbish but take a real interest in ordinary people. Don’t become set in your own opinions.
17 Don’t pay back a bad turn by a bad turn, to anyone. Don’t say “it doesn’t matter what people think”, but see that your public behaviour is above criticism.
18 As far as your responsibility goes, live at peace with everyone.
19 Never take vengeance into your own hands, my dear friends: stand back and let God punish if he will. For it is written: ‘Vengeance is mine. I will repay’.
20-21 ... these are God’s words: ‘Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head’. Don’t allow yourself to be overpowered with evil. Take the offensive—overpower evil by good!
The last supper
17 On the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus with the question, “Where do you want us to make our preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
18-25 “Go into the city,” Jesus replied, “to a certain man there and say to him, ‘The Master says, “My time is near. I am going to keep the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’” The disciples did as Jesus had instructed them and prepared the Passover. Then late in the evening he took his place at table with the twelve and during the meal he said, “I tell you plainly that one of you is going to betray me.” They were deeply distressed at this and each began to say to him in turn, “Surely, Lord, I am not the one?” And his answer was, “The man who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the man who will betray me. It is true that the Son of Man will follow the road foretold by the scriptures, but alas for the man through whom he is betrayed! It would be better for that man if had never been born.” And Judas, who actually betrayed him, said, “Master, am I the one?” “As you say!” replied Jesus.
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.