Book of Common Prayer

Final exhortations

¹² This, my dear family, is the request we make of you. Take note of those who work among you and exercise leadership over you in the Lord, those who give you instruction. ¹³ Give them the highest possible rank of love because of their work. Live at peace among yourselves.

¹⁴ And we beg you, my dear family: warn those who step out of line; console the downcast; help the weak; be warm-hearted and patient towards everybody. ¹⁵ Make sure nobody pays anyone back evil for evil. Instead, always find the way to do good to one another, and to everybody.

Final blessings and charge

²³ Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy. May your complete spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful; he will do it.

²⁵ My dear family, pray for us.

²⁶ Greet the whole family with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I charge you by the Lord to have this letter read to the whole family.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah be with you.

¹⁹ “Don’t store up treasure on earth. Moths and rust will eat it away, and robbers will break in and steal it. ²⁰ No: store up for yourselves treasure in heaven! Moths and rust don’t eat it away there, and no robbers break in and steal it. ²¹ Show me your treasure, and I’ll show you where your heart is.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is honest and clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is evil, your whole body is in the dark. So, if the light within you turns out to be darkness, darkness doesn’t come any darker than that.

²⁴ “Nobody can serve two masters. Otherwise, they will either hate the first and love the second, or be devoted to the first and despise the second. You can’t serve both God and wealth.”