Book of Common Prayer
He exhorts them to love. He warns them to beware of uncleanness, covetousness, foolish talking, and false counsel; to be circumspect, to avoid drunkenness, to rejoice and to be thankful to God, and to submit themselves one to another. He teaches how women should obey their husbands, and how lovingly men ought to treat their wives.
5 Be followers of God as dear children, 2 and walk in love, even as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet savour to God.
3 As for fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let them not be once named among you, as it becomes saints. 4 Nor should there be coarseness, or foolish talking, or jestings which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no whoremonger or unclean person, or covetous person (who is an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no person deceive you with vain words. For through such things comes the wrath of God upon the children of unbelief. 7 Therefore do not be companions with them. 8 You were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. 9 For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. 10 Accept that which is pleasing to the Lord, 11 and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather rebuke them. 12 For it is shameful even to name those things that are done by them in secret. 13 But all things, when they are rebuked by the light, are manifest. For whatsoever is manifest, that same is light. 14 Therefore he says, Awake, you who sleep, and stand up from death, and Christ will give you light.
The parable of the sower. Take heed to God’s word. Christ stills the tempest of the sea, which obeyed him.
4 And he began again to teach by the sea side. And there gathered together unto him crowds of people, so greatly that he entered into the boat and sat in it in the sea, and all the people were by the sea side on the shore. 2 And he taught them many things in similitudes, and said to them in his lesson: 3 Hearken to! Behold, there went out a sower to sow. 4 And it happened as he sowed that some seed fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth, and quickly sprang up because it did not have depth of earth; 6 but as soon as the sun was up, it caught heat, and because it did not have rooting, withered away. 7 And some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, so that it gave no fruit. 8 And some fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit that sprang up and grew, and brought forth: some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold. 9 And he said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And when he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the similitude. 11 And he said to them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those who are outside, all things shall be done in similitudes, 12 and when they see, they will see but not discern, and when they hear, they will hear and not understand, lest at any time they should turn; and their sins would be forgiven them.
13 And he said to them, Do you not understand this similitude? How then will you understand any other similitudes? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And those who are by the wayside where the word is sown are those to whom, as soon as they have heard it, Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And likewise, those who receive the seed on the stony ground are those who, when they have heard the word, at once receive it with gladness, 17 yet have no roots in themselves. And so they endure but a time, and once trouble and persecution arise for the word’s sake, they fall immediately. 18 And those who receive the seed among the thorns are such as hear the word, 19 but the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the hunger for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it is made unfruitful. 20 And those who received the seed in good ground are those who hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.