Book of Common Prayer

God Has Spoken To Us Through Not a Prophet, But a Son

1 God, having spoken long-ago in-many-portions and in-many-ways to the fathers by the prophets, ² spoke to us at the last^[a] of these days by a Son^[b], Whom He appointed inheritor of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds^[c],

The Son Sat Down At God’s Right Hand, Having Become Better Than Angels

³ ...Who— being the radiance^[d] of His glory and exact-representation^[e] of His essence^[f], and upholding all things by the word of ^[g] His power— having made purification of sins, sat-down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become so-much better than the angels by-as-much-as He has inherited a more-excellent name than they.

For God Commands The Angels To Worship His Son

⁵ For to which of the angels did He ever say “You are my Son. Today I have fathered you”? [Ps 2:7]; and again, “I will be a father to Him, and He will be a son to Me”? [1 Chron 17:13]. ⁶ And again^[h], when He brings the Firstborn into the world He says [in Deut 32:43] “And let all the angels of God give-worship to Him”.

And God Says His Son Will Rule Forever Over What He Created

⁷ And with regard to the angels He says [in Ps 104:4] “The One making His angels winds and His ministers a flame of ^[i] fire”. ⁸ But with regard to the Son He says:

“Your throne, God^[j], is forever and ever. And the scepter of ^[k] straightness^[l] is the scepter of Your kingdom. ⁹ You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. For this reason God, your God, anointed You with the oil of gladness beyond Your companions” [Ps 45:6-7].

¹⁰ And, “You^[m], Lord, laid-the-foundation-of the earth at the beginnings, and the heavens are works of Your hands. ¹¹ They will perish, but You continue^[n]. Indeed they will all become-old like a garment, ¹² and You will roll them up as-if a cloak. They will indeed be changed like a garment. But You are the same, and Your years will not end” [Ps 102:25-27].

The Word Was With God, And The Word Was God. He Is The Light Shining In The Darkness

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² This One was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came-into-being^[a] through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being which^[b] has come-into-being. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. ⁵ And the light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome^[c] it.

John Was Sent By God To Bear Witness To The Light In Order That All Might Believe

⁶ There came-to-be^[d] a man, having been sent-forth from God. The name for him was John. ⁷ This one came for a testimony— in order that he might testify concerning the Light, in order that all might believe through him.

John Came Baptizing To Make Straight The Way of The Lord, As Isaiah Prophesied

¹⁹ And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews from Jerusalem sent-out priests and Levites to him in order that they might ask him, “Who are you?”, ²⁰ and he confessed and did not deny. And he confessed that “I am not the Christ”,

John Identifies Jesus As The Son of God Sent To Take Away The Sin of The World

²⁹ On the next day he sees Jesus coming toward him. And he says, “Look— the Lamb of God, the One taking-away the sin of the world. ³⁰ This One is the One about Whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me Who has become ahead of me, because He was before me’. ³¹ And I did not know Him. But I came baptizing with water for this reason— that He might be revealed to Israel”. ³² And John testified, saying that “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven. And He remained upon Him. ³³ And I did not know Him. But the One having sent me to baptize with water, that One said to me, ‘Upon whomever you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him— this One is the One baptizing with^[a] the Holy Spirit’. ³⁴ And I have seen, and have testified that this One is the Son of God”.