Book of Common Prayer

The unfaithfulness of the Jews. Two kinds of righteousness.

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. ² For I can attest that they have a fervent heart for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they are ignorant of the righteousness that is admitted before God, and go about to establish their own righteousness, and therefore give no heed to the righteousness that is of value before God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law, to justify all who believe.

⁵ Moses describes the righteousness which comes of the law, how the person who does the things of the law will live therein. ⁶ But the righteousness that comes by faith speaks this way: Say not in your heart, who shall ascend into heaven? (which is nothing else than to fetch Christ down), ⁷ or, who shall descend into the deep? (which is nothing else than to fetch Christ up from death). ⁸ But what does the scripture say? The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart. This word is the word of faith that we preach. ⁹ For if you acknowledge with your mouth that Jesus is the Lord, and believe with your heart that God raised him up from death, you will be safe. ¹⁰ For the belief of the heart justifies, and to acknowledge with the mouth makes a man safe. ¹¹ For the scripture says: Whoever believes on him, will not be ashamed.

¹² There is no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles. For there is one Lord over all, who richly blesses all who call on him. ¹³ For: Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

¹⁸ But the Jews did not believe concerning the fellow, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the father and mother of him who had received his sight. ¹⁹ And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?

²⁰ His father and mother answered them and said, We know well that this is our son and that he was born blind. ²¹ But by what means he now sees, that we do not know. Or who has opened his eyes, we do not know. He is old enough; ask him. Let him answer for himself.

²² His father and mother spoke such words because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had decided already that if anyone confessed that Jesus was the Christ, he would be excommunicated out of the synagogue. ²³ Therefore his father and mother said, He is old enough; ask him.

²⁴ Then again they called the man who had been blind and said to him, Give God the praise. We know that this man is a sinner.

²⁵ He answered and said, Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I am sure of: I was blind, and now I see.

²⁶ Then they said to him again, What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?

²⁷ He answered them, I told you already, and you did not hear. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to be his disciples?

²⁸ Then they berated him and said, You are his disciple. We are Moses’ disciples. ²⁹ We are sure that God spoke with Moses. This fellow, we do not know where he is from.

³⁰ The man answered and said to them, This is a marvellous thing, that you do not where he is from, seeing he has opened my eyes. ³¹ For we are sure that God does not hear sinners. But if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, him he hears. ³² Since the world began it has never been heard that any man opened the eyes of someone that was born blind. ³³ If this man were not of God, he could have done nothing.

³⁴ They answered and said to him, You are altogether born in sin, and do you teach us? And they cast him out.

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had excommunicated the man, and as soon as he found him, he said to him, Do you believe on the Son of God? ³⁶ He answered and said, Who is it, Lord, so that I can believe on him? ³⁷ And Jesus said to him, You have seen him, and he it is who talks with you.

³⁸ And he said, Lord, I believe! and worshipped him.

³⁹ Jesus said, I have come for judgment into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see, may be made blind.

⁴⁰ And some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him, Are we then blind? ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, We see. Therefore your sin remains.