Book of Common Prayer
Painful visit, painful letter
23 For my own part, I call on God as witness, against my own life, that the reason I haven’t yet come back to Corinth is because I wanted to spare you. 24 This isn’t because I am making myself the lord and master over your faith; your faith is the reason you stand fast! Rather, it’s because we are cooperating with you for your joy.
2 You see, I settled it in my mind that I wouldn’t make you another sad visit. 2 After all, if I make you sad, who is there to cheer me up except the one who is sad because of me? 3 And I wrote what I did so that I wouldn’t come and find sadness where I should have found joy. I have this confidence about all of you, that my joy belongs to you all. 4 No: I wrote to you in floods of tears, out of great trouble and anguish in my heart, not so that I could make you sad but so that you would know just how much overflowing love I have towards you.
Time to forgive
5 But if anyone has caused sadness, it isn’t me that he has saddened, but, in a measure (I don’t want to emphasize this too much), all of you. 6 The punishment that the majority has imposed is quite enough; 7 what’s needed now is rather that you should forgive and console him, in case someone like that might be swallowed up by such abundant sorrow. 8 Let me urge you, then, to reaffirm your love for him.
9 The reason I wrote to you, you see, was in order to know whether you would pass the test and be obedient in everything. 10 If you forgive anyone anything, so do I; and whatever I have forgiven—if indeed I have forgiven anyone anything!—it’s all happened under the eyes of the Messiah, and for your own sake. 11 The point is that we shouldn’t be outsmarted by the satan. We know what he’s up to!
The smell of life, the smell of death
12 However, when I came to Troas to announce the Messiah’s gospel, and found an open door waiting for me in the Lord, 13 I couldn’t get any quietness in my spirit because I didn’t find my brother Titus there. So I left them and went off to Macedonia.
14 But thanks be to God—the God who always leads us in his triumphal procession in the Messiah, and through us reveals everywhere the sweet smell of knowing him. 15 We are the Messiah’s fragrance before God, you see, to those who are being saved and to those who are being lost. 16 To the latter, it’s a smell which comes from death and leads to death; but to the former it’s the smell of life which leads to life.
Who can rise to this challenge? 17 We aren’t mere peddlers of God’s word, as so many people are. We speak with sincerity; we speak from God; we speak in God’s presence; we speak in the Messiah.
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin
15 All the tax-collectors and sinners were coming close to listen to Jesus. 2 The Pharisees and the legal experts were grumbling. “This fellow welcomes sinners!” they said. “He even eats with them!”
The parable of the Prodigal: the father and the younger son
11 Jesus went on: “Once there was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger son said to the father, ‘Father, give me my share in the property.’ So he divided up his livelihood between them. 13 Not many days later the younger son turned his share into cash, and set off for a country far away, where he spent his share in having a riotous good time.
14 “When he had spent it all, a severe famine came on that country, and he found himself destitute. 15 So he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into the fields to feed his pigs. 16 He longed to satisfy his hunger with the pods that the pigs were eating, and nobody gave him anything.
17 “He came to his senses. ‘Just think!’ he said to himself. ‘There are all my father’s hired hands with plenty to eat—and here am I, starving to death! 18 I shall get up and go to my father, and I’ll say to him: “Father; I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I don’t deserve to be called your son any longer. Make me like one of your hired hands.” ’ 20 And he got up and went to his father.
“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and his heart was stirred with love and pity. He ran to him, hugged him tight, and kissed him. 21 ‘Father,’ the son began, ‘I have sinned against heaven and before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son any longer.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him! Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet! 23 And bring the calf that we’ve fattened up, kill it, and let’s eat and have a party! 24 This son of mine was dead, and is alive again! He was lost, and now he’s found!’ And they began to celebrate.”
The parable of the Prodigal: the father and the older son
25 “The older son was out in the fields. When he came home, and got near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was going on.
27 “ ‘Your brother’s come home!’ he said. ‘And your father has thrown a great party—he’s killed the fattened calf!—because he’s got him back safe and well!’
28 “He flew into a rage, and wouldn’t go in.
“Then his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 ‘Look here!’ he said to his father, ‘I’ve been slaving for you all these years! I’ve never disobeyed a single commandment of yours. And you never even gave me a young goat so I could have a party with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours comes home, once he’s finished gobbling up your livelihood with his whores, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “ ‘My son,’ he replied, ‘you’re always with me. Everything I have belongs to you. 32 But we had to celebrate and be happy! This brother of yours was dead and is alive again! He was lost, and now he’s found!’ ”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.