Book of Common Prayer

¹⁶ For if I am announcing-the-good-news, it is not^[a] a boast for me, for a necessity^[b] is lying-upon^[c] me; for woe is to me if I do not announce-the-good-news. ¹⁷ For if I am practicing this of-my-own-will, I have a reward; but if not-of-my-own-will, I have been entrusted a stewardship^[d]. ¹⁸ What then is my reward? That while announcing-the-good-news, I might place the good-news free-of-charge, so as not to make-full-use-of my right in^[e] the good-news.

For I Have Chosen To Enslave Myself To All For The Advance of The Gospel

¹⁹ For^[f] while being free from all people, I enslaved myself to all in order that I might gain the more. ²⁰ Indeed I became to the Jews as a Jew, in order that I might gain Jews; to the ones under the Law, as under the Law— not being myself under the Law— in order that I might gain the ones under the Law; ²¹ to the ones without-the-Law, as without-the-Law— not being without-the-law of God, but within-the-law of Christ— in order that I might gain the ones without-the-Law. ²² I became weak to the weak, in order that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, in order that I might by all means save some. ²³ And I am doing all things for the sake of the good-news, in order that I might become a co-partner of it.

On The Other Hand, I Will Do Everything Needed To Win My Race And Keep My Prize

²⁴ Do^[g] you not know that the ones running in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Be running in this manner: that you may take-hold-of the prize. ²⁵ And everyone competing exercises-self-control as to all things. So those do it in order that they might receive a decayable crown, but we an undecayable one. ²⁶ So-indeed I run in this manner, as not aimlessly^[h]. I box in this manner, as not beating the air. ²⁷ But I bruise my body and make it my slave, that having proclaimed to others, I myself should not somehow become disapproved^[i].

8 ¹ And^[a] He having come down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.

Because Jesus Is Willing And Able To Heal, He Heals a Man With Leprosy

² And behold— a leper having come to Him was prostrating-himself before Him, saying, “Master, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me”. ³ And having stretched-out His hand, He touched him, saying, “I am willing^[b]. Be cleansed”. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus says to him, “See that you tell no one. But go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them”.

Because of a Master’s Faith, Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Servant Who Is Not Even Present

⁵ And He having entered into Capernaum, a centurion^[c] came to Him, appealing-to Him ⁶ and saying, “Master, my servant has been put in the house paralyzed, being terribly tormented”. ⁷ And He says to him, “Having come, I will^[d] cure him”. ⁸ And having responded, the centurion said, “Master, I am not fit that You should come-in under my roof. But only speak it in a word^[e] and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under myself. And I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it”. ¹⁰ Now having heard, Jesus marveled, and said to the ones following, “Truly I say to you, with no one in Israel did I find so-great a faith! ¹¹ And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and will lie-back [to eat] with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens. ¹² But the sons of ^[f] the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be the weeping and the grinding of teeth”. ¹³ And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go. Let it be done for you as you believed”. And his servant was healed at that hour.

The Healings Done By Jesus Fulfill What Was Predicted of Him In Isaiah

¹⁴ And Jesus, having come into the house of Peter, saw his mother-in-law having been put in bed, and being sick-with-fever. ¹⁵ And He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose, and was serving Him. ¹⁶ And having become evening, they brought to Him many being demon-possessed. And He cast-out the spirits with a word and cured all the ones being ill, ¹⁷ so that the thing might be fulfilled having been spoken through Isaiah the prophet saying “He took our weaknesses^[g], and carried our diseases” [Isa 53:4].