Book of Common Prayer
He prophesies of false teachers, and shows their punishment.
2 There were false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will slyly bring in damnable sects, even denying the Lord who has bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation. 2 And many will follow their damnable ways, by which the way of truth will be ill spoken of. 3 And through covetousness they will with feigned words make merchandise of you. Their judgment is not far off, and their damnation sleeps not.
4 For God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down into hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be kept until the judgment. 5 And he did not spare the old world, but saved Noah, the preacher of righteousness, with seven others, and brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. 6 And he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, overthrew them, damned them, and made them an example to all who afterwards would live ungodly. 7 But just Lot, vexed with the unclean ways of the wicked, he delivered. 8 For he, being righteous, and dwelling among them, was vexed in his righteous soul from day to day, with seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds.
9 So then, the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of affliction, and how to reserve the unjust for the day of judgment, to be punished; 10 namely those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise authority. Presumptuous they are, and stubborn, and fear not to speak evil of those who are in authority,
The office of John the Baptist. The baptism of Christ, his fasting, his preaching, and the calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Christ heals the man with the unclean spirit, helps Peter’s mother-in-law, and cleanses the leper.
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in the prophets: Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you. 3 The voice of a crier in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his paths straight!
4 John baptized in the wilderness, and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 And all the countryside of Judea and the people of Jerusalem went out to him, and were all baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of skin about his loins. And he ate locusts and wild honey, 7 and preached, saying, One mightier than I comes after me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.