Book of Common Prayer

The old law has no power to cleanse away sin, but Christ did it with the offering of his body once and for all. An exhortation to receive this goodness of God thankfully, with patience and steadfast faith.

10 For the law, which has but the shadow of good things to come, and not the real things themselves, can never, with the sacrifices that the priests offer year by year continually, make those who come to it perfect. ² For would not then those sacrifices have ceased to be offered, because the offerers, once purged, would have had no more conscience of sins? ³ But in those sacrifices, mention is made of sins every year. ⁴ For it is impossible that the blood of oxen and of goats should take away sins. ⁵ Therefore when he comes into the world he says: Sacrifice and offering you would not have, but a body you have made ready for me. ⁶ In sacrifices and sin-offerings you have no pleasure. ⁷ Then I said, Lo, I come! In the chief part of the book it is written of me, that I will do your will, O God.

⁸ Above – when he said sacrifice and offering, and burnt sacrifices and sin-offerings you would not have, neither have accepted (which yet are offered according to the law), ⁹ and then said, Lo, I come to do your will, O God – he takes away the first in order to establish the latter. ¹⁰ In accordance with this God’s will, we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.

³⁰ I can of my own self do nothing at all. As I hear, I judge. And my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who has sent me.

³¹ If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. ³² There is another who bears witness of me, and I know that the witness he bears of me is true: ³³ you sent to John, and he bore witness to the truth. ³⁴ But I do not need the testimony of man. Nevertheless, I say these things so that you might be saved. ³⁵ He was a burning and a shining light, and you were willing for a season to enjoy his light.

³⁶ But I have greater witness than the witness of John. For the works which the Father has given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father sent me.

³⁷ And the Father himself who has sent me bears witness of me. You have not heard his voice at any time, nor have you seen his nature, ³⁸ and his words you do not have abiding in you. For whom he has sent, him you do not believe.

³⁹ Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and it is they that testify of me. ⁴⁰ And yet you will not come to me so that you might have life. ⁴¹ I do not need praise from men, ⁴² but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. ⁴³ I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, him you will receive. ⁴⁴ How can you believe, who receive honour from one another, and do not seek the honour that comes from God only?

⁴⁵ Do not think that I will accuse you to my Father. There is one who accuses you: even Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶ For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me. For he wrote of me. ⁴⁷ But seeing you do not believe his writing, how will you believe my words?