Book of Common Prayer

Watch Out For an Evil Heart of Unbelief As Long As It Is Called “Today”

¹² Be watching-out, brothers, so that there will not-ever be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing^[a] from the living God. ¹³ But be exhorting yourselves each day, as long as it is called “Today”, in order that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

For We Are Partakers of Christ If We Hold On Until The End

¹⁴ For we have become^[b] partakers^[c] of Christ if-indeed we hold-on-to the beginning of our assurance^[d] firm until the end— ¹⁵ in that it is^[e] said [in Ps 95:7-8]: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion”.

For Israel Did Not Enter God’s Rest Because of Unbelief

¹⁶ For who having heard rebelled? But was it not all the ones having come out of Egypt through Moses? ¹⁷ And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with the ones having sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom did He swear that they will not enter into His rest, except to the ones having disobeyed? ¹⁹ And we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

Many Believed, But Jesus Did Not Entrust Himself To Them

²³ Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the Feast, many believed in His name, seeing His signs which He was doing. ²⁴ But Jesus Himself was not entrusting Himself to them— because of His knowing all people; ²⁵ and because He was having no need that someone should testify about the person, for He Himself was knowing what was in the person.

Nicodemus, a Ruler of The Jews, Comes To Jesus, And Is Told He Must Be Born Again

3 Now there was a man from the Pharisees— the name for him was Nicodemus— a ruler of the Jews. ² This one came to Him by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher. For no one is able to be doing these signs which You are doing unless God is with him”. ³ Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you— unless one is born again^[a], he is not able to see the kingdom of God”. ⁴ Nicodemus says to Him, “How is a person able to be born while being an old-man? He is not able to enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born, is he?” ⁵ Jesus responded, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water^[b] and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ The thing having been born of the flesh is flesh, and the thing having been born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You^[c] all must be born again’— ⁸ the wind blows where it wants, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know from where it comes, and where it is going. So^[d] is everyone having been born of the Spirit”. ⁹ Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How are these^[e] things able to happen?” ¹⁰ Jesus responded and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and you do not understand these things? ¹¹ Truly, truly, I say to you that we are speaking what we know, and we are testifying what we have seen, and you^[f] people are not receiving our testimony. ¹² If I told you people earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ And no one has gone up into heaven except the One having come down from heaven— the Son of Man. ¹⁴ And just as Moses lifted-up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up ¹⁵ in order that everyone putting-faith in Him may have^[g] eternal life.