Book of Common Prayer

Commending Phoebe, greeting friends

16 Let me introduce you to our sister Phoebe. She is a deacon in the church at Cenchreae. ² I want you to welcome her in the Lord, as is proper for one of God’s people. Please give her whatever practical assistance she may need from you. She has been a benefactor to many people, myself included.

³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Messiah Jesus. ⁴ They put their lives on the line for me. It isn’t only me, but all the Gentile churches, that owe them a debt of gratitude. ⁵ Greet the church in their house as well.

Greet my dear Epainetus; he was the first fruits of the Messiah’s harvest in Asia. ⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and fellow prisoners, who are well known among the apostles, and who were in the Messiah before I was. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in the Messiah, and my dear Stachys. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, who has proved his worth in the Messiah. Greet the people from the Aristobulus household.

¹¹ Greet my relative Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the household of Narcissus. ¹² Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet dear Persis, who has done a great deal of work in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, one of the Lord’s chosen, and also his mother—my mother too, in effect! ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the family with them.

¹⁵ Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas too, and all God’s people who are with them. ¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the Messiah’s churches send you greetings.

²⁴ Pilate saw that it was no good. In fact, there was a riot brewing. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd.

“I’m not guilty of this man’s blood,” he said. “It’s your problem.”

²⁵ “Let his blood be on us!” answered all the people. “And on our children!”

²⁶ Then Pilate released Barabbas for them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Jesus mocked and crucified

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the barracks, and gathered the whole regiment together. ²⁸ They took off his clothes and dressed him up in a scarlet military cloak. ²⁹ They wove a crown out of thorns and stuck it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. Then they knelt down in front of him.

“Greetings, King of the Jews!” they said, making fun of him.

³⁰ They spat on him. Then they took the reed and beat him about the head. ³¹ When they had finished mocking him, they took off the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes again, and led him off to crucify him.