Book of Common Prayer

For Loss of The Prize Is Possible: Remember What Happened To Israel

10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers^[a] were all under the cloud, and all went through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and all ate the same spiritual^[b] food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were drinking from a spiritual^[c] rock following them. And the rock was Christ. ⁵ But God was not well-pleased with the majority of them, for they were strewn in the wilderness.

Do Not Follow Their Example

⁶ Now these things took place as our examples, so that we might not be desirers of evil things, as those also desired. ⁷ And do not be idolaters, as some of them, as-indeed it has been written [in Ex 32:6], “The people sat-down to eat and drink, and stood up to play”. ⁸ And let us not be committing-sexual-immorality, as some of them committed sexual immorality, and twenty three thousand fell in one day [Num 25:1-9]. ⁹ And let us not be putting Christ to the test, as some of them tested, and were being destroyed by the serpents [Num 21:5-6]. ¹⁰ And do not be grumbling, like some of them grumbled, and perished by the destroyer [Num 16:41-49]. ¹¹ Now these^[d] things were happening to those ones as-an-example. And it was written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come^[e].

So Watch Out That You Do Not Fall

¹² So then let the one thinking that he stands be watching-out that he may not fall. ¹³ A temptation has not seized you except what is common-to-humanity. And God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but also with the temptation will make the way-out, that you may be able to endure.

Pharisees Object To Eating With Unwashed Hands. Jesus Condemns Their Traditions

7 And the Pharisees and some of the scribes are gathered-together with Him, having come from Jerusalem. ² And having seen some of His disciples, that they are eating their bread with defiled^[a] hands, that is, unwashed^[b]— ³ for the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands with a fist^[c], holding-on-to the tradition of the elders. ⁴ And they do not eat [when they return]^[d] from the marketplace unless they cleanse^[e] [themselves]. And there are many other traditions which they received to hold-on-to— the cleansing of cups and pitchers and copper-pots and couches^[f]. ⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes ask Him, “For what reason are Your disciples not walking according to the tradition of the elders, but are eating their bread with defiled hands?” ⁶ And the One said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly concerning you hypocrites, as it has been written [in Isa 29:13], that ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far distant from Me. ⁷ But they are worshiping Me in-vain^[g], teaching as teachings^[h] the commandments of humans’. ⁸ Having neglected the commandment of God, you are holding on to the tradition of humans!” ⁹ And He was saying to them, “You are nicely^[i] setting-aside^[j] the commandment of God in order that you may establish^[k] your tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses said [in Ex 20:12], ‘Be honoring your father and your mother’, and [in Ex 21:17], ‘Let the one speaking-evil-of father or mother come-to-an-end^[l] by a death’. ¹¹ But you say if a person says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you might be benefitted from me is Corban (which means “Gift”)’, ¹² you no longer permit him to do anything^[m] for his father or mother— ¹³ nullifying^[n] the word of God by your tradition which you handed-down. And you are doing many similar such things”. ¹⁴ And having summoned the crowd again, He was saying to them, “Everyone listen-to Me and understand— ¹⁵ there is nothing outside of the person proceeding into him which is able to defile him. But the things proceeding out of the person are the things defiling the person. ^16 [o]

What Goes Into The Body Does Not Defile, But What Comes Out of The Heart

¹⁷ And when He entered into a house away-from the crowd, His disciples were questioning Him as to the parable. ¹⁸ And He says to them, “So are even you without-understanding? Do you not perceive that everything outside proceeding into the person is not able to defile^[p] him ¹⁹ because it does not proceed into his heart, but into his stomach, and it proceeds out into the latrine?” (He was making all foods clean^[q].) ²⁰ And He was saying that “The thing proceeding out of the person— that defiles the person. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of people, proceed the evil thoughts, sexual-immoralities, thefts, murders, ²² adulteries, greeds, evils, deceit, sensuality, an evil eye^[r], blasphemy, arrogance, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things proceed-out from within, and defile the person”.