Book of Common Prayer

¹² I would you understood, brethren, that my trouble has served for the great furthering of the gospel. ¹³ For my bonds in Christ are manifest throughout all the judgment hall and in all other places, ¹⁴ and many of the brethren in the Lord are emboldened through my bonds, and dare to more freely speak the word without fear. ¹⁵ Some there are who preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, and some of goodwill. ¹⁶ The one part preach Christ out of rivalry, and not purely, supposing to add more adversity to my bonds, ¹⁷ but the other part out of love, because they see that I am set to defend the gospel. ¹⁸ What then? If only Christ be preached – whatever the way, whether through opportunism or of a true intent – I rejoice.

¹⁹ Yea, and I will rejoice, because I know that these circumstances will bear toward my salvation (through your prayer and ministering of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, ²⁰ as I heartily look for), and hope that in nothing I will be ashamed, but that with all confidence, as always in times past, so now Christ may be magnified in my body, whether it be through life or death. ²¹ For Christ is to me life, and death is to me gain.

²² If it happens that I live in the flesh, it means fruitful work for me, and what to choose I do not know. ²³ I am constrained by two things: I desire to be released and to be with Christ, which thing is best of all. ²⁴ Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. ²⁵ And this I am sure of: that I will abide, and continue with you all for the furtherance and joy of your faith, ²⁶ so that you may more abundantly rejoice in Jesus Christ through me, by my coming to you again.

²⁷ Only be sure that you live worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may yet hear of you that you continue in one spirit and in one soul, labouring as we do to maintain the faith of the gospel – ²⁸ and in nothing fearing your adversaries, which is to them a sign of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. ²⁹ For to you it is given not only to believe on Christ, but also to suffer for his sake, ³⁰ and to have even the same fight which you saw me have and now hear of me.

Christ is risen up again. He appears to the apostles, to whom he commits the preaching of the gospel.

16 And when the Sabbath day was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary Jacobi, and Salome bought sweet spices so that they could come and anoint him. ² And early in the morning of the day after the Sabbath day, they came to the sepulchre when the sun was risen. ³ And they said to one another, Who will roll the stone away from the opening of the sepulchre for us? ⁴ But when they looked, they saw that the stone had been rolled away; for it was a very great one.

⁵ And they went into the sepulchre, and saw a young man clothed in a long white garment sitting on the right side, and they were afraid. ⁶ But he said to them, Do not be afraid. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen; he is not here. Behold the place where they put him. ⁷ But go your way and tell his disciples, and especially Peter. He will go before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as he said to you.

⁸ And they went out quickly and fled from the sepulchre. For they trembled and were amazed. And they did not say anything to anyone, because they were afraid.

⁹ After Jesus had risen on the day after the Sabbath day, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. ¹⁰ And she went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. ¹¹ And though they heard that he was alive and he had appeared to her, yet they did not believe it.

¹² After that, he appeared to two of them as a stranger when they were walking and going into the country. ¹³ And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

¹⁴ After that, he appeared to the eleven as they sat at food, and cast in their teeth their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they would not believe those who had seen him after his resurrection. ¹⁵ And he said to them, Go into all the world, and preach the glad tidings to all creatures. ¹⁶ He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be damned. ¹⁷ And these signs will follow those who believe: in my name they will cast out devils, and will speak with new tongues, ¹⁸ and will kill serpents. And if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.

¹⁹ So then, when the Lord had spoken to them, he was received into heaven and sat down on the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went forth and preached everywhere. And the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word with miracles that followed.

The end of the gospel
of St Mark.