Book of Common Prayer

He labours to draw them away from circumcision. He shows them the battle between the Spirit and the flesh, and the fruits of them both.

5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty whereby Christ has made us free, and do not wrap yourselves again in a yoke of bondage. ² Behold, I Paul say to you that if you are circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing at all. ³ I testify again to every man who gets circumcised that he is bound to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are gone quite from Christ, as many of you as would be justified by the law, and are fallen from grace. ⁵ We look for and hope in the Spirit to be justified through faith. ⁶ For in Jesus Christ neither is circumcision worth anything, nor yet uncircumcision, but faith, which by love is mighty in operation.

⁷ You were running well. Who got in your way, that you should not follow the truth? ⁸ This counsel is not of him who called you. ⁹ A little leaven does leaven the whole lump of dough.

¹⁰ I am confident of you in the Lord, that you will not be otherwise minded. He who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. ¹¹ Brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I then yet suffer persecution? For then the offence that the cross gives is put away. ¹² I would to God they were separated from you, those who trouble you.

¹³ Brethren, you were called into liberty – only let not your liberty be an occasion for the flesh, but in love serve one another. ¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, which is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. ¹⁵ If you bite and devour one another, take heed lest you be consumed by one another.

²⁷ And Jesus went out with his disciples into the towns around the city called Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, saying, Who do people say that I am? ²⁸ And they answered, Some say that you are John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and some, one of the prophets. ²⁹ And he said to them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered and said to him, You are the Christ. ³⁰ And he charged them to tell no one of it.

³¹ And he began to teach them how the Son of man must suffer many things, and would be reproved by the elders and by the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days arise again. ³² And he spoke this word plainly. But Peter took him aside and began to chide him. ³³ Then he turned around and looked on his disciples, and rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind me, Satan, for you savour not the things of God, but the things of men.

³⁴ And he called the people to him with his disciples also, and said to them, Whoever would follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever would save his life, will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake and the sake of the gospel, shall save it. ³⁶ What does it profit a man, if he should win all the world and lose his own soul? ³⁷ Or what can a person give to redeem his soul? ³⁸ Whosoever therefore is ashamed of me and of my words among this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

9 And he said to them, Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste of death till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.