Book of Common Prayer

Paul shows them what manner of people they were before their conversion, and what they are now in Christ. We are ordained for good works.

2 And you he has quickened to life also, who were dead in trespass and sin, ² in which you walked in time past according to the course of this world, and followed the prince that rules in the air – the spirit that now works in the children of unbelief, ³ among whom we also had our living in time past, in the lusts of our flesh, and fulfilled the will of the flesh and of the mind, and were naturally the children of wrath fully as well as others.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, through his great love that he loved us with ⁵ even when we were dead by sin, has quickened us to life together in Christ (for by grace you are saved), ⁶ and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly things through Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order to show in times to come the exceeding riches of his grace, in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you are saved, through faith – and that not of yourselves. For it is the gift of God, ⁹ and does not come by works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, to which God ordained us before, that we should walk in them.

²⁹ And directly, as soon as they had left the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. ³⁰ And Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick of a fever. And right away they told him of her. ³¹ And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. And the fever left her immediately, and she ministered to them.

³² And in the evening, when the sun was down, people brought to him all their sick and those that were possessed with devils. ³³ And all the city gathered together at the door. ³⁴ And he healed many who were sick of different diseases. And he cast out many devils, and would not permit the devils to speak, because they knew him.

³⁵ And in the morning very early, Jesus arose and went out to a solitary place, and there prayed. ³⁶ And Simon and those who were with him followed after Jesus. ³⁷ And when they had found him, they said to him, All the people are searching for you. ³⁸ He said to them, Let us go into the next towns so that I can preach there also; for truly, I came out for that purpose.

³⁹ And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast the devils out.

⁴⁰ And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, who kneeled down to him and said to him, If you will, you can make me clean. ⁴¹ And Jesus had compassion on him, and put forth his hand, touched him, and said to him, I will; be clean. ⁴² And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was cleansed. ⁴³ And Jesus charged the man, and sent him away directly, ⁴⁴ and said to him, See that you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.

⁴⁵ But the man (as soon as he had left) began to talk freely, and to tell everyone what had been done, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter into the towns, but was out in the country. And people came to him from every quarter.