Book of Common Prayer

⁶ But godliness is great wealth, if a man is content with what he has. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and it is a plain case that we can carry nothing out. ⁸ When we have food and clothing, let us therewith be content. ⁹ Those who want to be rich fall into temptation and snares, and into many foolish and harmful desires, which drown men in perdition and destruction. ¹⁰ For covetousness is the root of all evil, which, when some followed after, they erred from the faith, and tangled themselves with many sorrows. ¹¹ But you who are the man of God, flee such things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, love, patience, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, to which you are called and have pledged yourself with a good profession before many witnesses.

¹³ I give you charge in the sight of God, who gives life to all things, and before Jesus Christ, who bore faithful witness under Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ to keep the commandment, and be without spot and unrebukeable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ – ¹⁵ which appearing (when the time is come) he will show, who is blessed and sole in dominion, King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, and dwells in light to which no man can attain, whom no man ever saw neither can see: to whom be honour and rule everlasting. Amen.

¹⁷ Charge those who are rich in this world not to be high-minded, and not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us abundantly all things, to enjoy them; ¹⁸ and to do good, and to be rich in good works, and ready to give and distribute, ¹⁹ laying up in store for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, so that they may obtain eternal life.

²⁰ O Timothy, preserve that which has been given you to keep, and avoid unspiritual vanities of voices, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so-called, ²¹ which knowledge has led some who profess it to err as concerning the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen.

Sent from Laodicea, which is the
chiefest city of Phrygia,
Pacatiana.

³⁵ And Jesus spoke and said, teaching in the temple, How is it the scribes say that Christ is the son of David? ³⁶ For David himself, inspired with the Holy Spirit, said, The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. ³⁷ So David himself calls him Lord. By what means then is he David’s son?

And the crowds of people heard him gladly. ³⁸ And he said to them as he taught them, Beware of the scribes, who love to go about in long clothing, and love salutations in the market places, ³⁹ and the chief seats in the synagogues, and to sit in the uppermost places at feasts; ⁴⁰ and who devour widows’ houses, and that under a colour of long praying. These shall receive greater damnation.

⁴¹ Jesus sat across from the treasury and observed how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich cast in much. ⁴² And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two small coins worth a pittance. ⁴³ And he called his disciples to him and said to them, Truly I say to you that this poor widow has cast in more than all the others who have cast into the treasury. ⁴⁴ For they all gave from their surplus, but she, in her poverty, did cast in all that she had, even all her living.