Book of Common Prayer

¹⁷ And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as-though dead. And He placed His right hand upon me, saying “Do not be fearing. I am the First and the Last, ¹⁸ and the One living. And I became dead, and behold— I am living forever and ever. And I have the keys of death and Hades. ¹⁹ Therefore write the things which you saw, and^[a] the things which are, and the things which are destined^[b] to take place after these things. ²⁰ As to the mystery of the seven stars which you saw upon My right hand and the seven golden lampstands— the seven stars are angels^[c] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are seven churches.

Write To Ephesus: You Left Your First Love. Repent And Do The First Works

2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write— These things says the One holding-on-to the seven stars in His right hand, the One walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. ² I know your works and^[d] labor and your endurance, and that you cannot bear-with evil ones. And you tested the ones calling themselves apostles (and they are not) and you found them to be false. ³ And you have endurance, and bore-up for the sake of My name, and have not become-weary. ⁴ But I have against you that you left your first love. ⁵ Therefore, be remembering^[e] from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works. Otherwise, I am coming to you. And I will move^[f] your lampstand from its place unless you repent. ⁶ But this you have— that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷ Let the one having an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To the one overcoming^[g], I will give him authority to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.

Jesus Tells The Crowds: Do Not Act Like The Scribes And Pharisees

23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, ² saying— “The scribes and the Pharisees sat-down^[a] on the seat of Moses. ³ Therefore, do and be keeping all that they tell you. But do not be acting^[b] in accordance with their works. For they say things and do not do them. ⁴ And they bind-up heavy and hard-to-bear burdens^[c] and lay them on the shoulders of people. But they are not willing to move^[d] them with their finger. ⁵ And they do all their works so-as to be seen by people. For they widen their phylacteries^[e] and lengthen their tassels^[f]. ⁶ And they love the place-of-honor^[g] at the banquets, and the seats-of-honor^[h] in the synagogues, ⁷ and the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’^[i] by people. ⁸ But you— do not be called^[j] ‘Rabbi’. For One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ And do not call^[k] one on earth your father. For One is your Father— the heavenly One. ¹⁰ Nor be called master-teachers^[l], because your master-teacher is One— the Christ. ¹¹ But the greater^[m] of you shall be your servant. ¹² And whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be exalted.