Book of Common Prayer

¹⁸ Little children, it is the last time. And as you have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now there are many Antichrists come already. By this we know that it is the last time. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But this happened so that it might appear that they were not of us.

²⁰ And you have an anointing of the Holy Spirit, and you know all things. ²¹ I did not write to you as though you did not know the truth, but as knowing it, and as knowing also that no lie comes of truth. ²² Who is a liar, but he who denies that Jesus is Christ? He is the Antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ Whoever denies the Son, the same does not have the Father.

²⁴ Let therefore abide in you that which you heard from the beginning. If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will continue in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ And the promise that he has promised us is eternal life.

²⁶ This I have written to you concerning those who deceive you.

²⁷ And the anointing that you have received from him dwells in you, and you need not that any man teach you – but as the anointing teaches you all things, and is true, and is no lie, and as it taught you, even so abide therein.

²⁸ And now babes, abide in him, so that when he appears we may be bold, and not be made ashamed before him at his coming. ²⁹ If you know that he is righteous, know also that he who follows righteousness is born of him.

The preaching, baptism, and imprisonment of John. The baptism of Christ. A recital of the lineage of the fathers.

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius the Emperor (Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch in Iturea and in the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene), ² when Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. ³ And he came into all the country about the Jordan River preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, ⁴ as it is written in the book of the sayings of Isaiah the prophet, which says: The voice of a crier in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his paths straight! ⁵ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low. And crooked things shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth. ⁶ And all flesh shall see the saviour sent by God.

⁷ Then he said to the people who came to be baptized by him, O offspring of vipers, who has taught you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bring forth the due fruits of repentance, and do not begin to say in yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I say to you, God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. ⁹ And now also is the axe laid to the root of the trees, so that every tree that does not bring forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.

¹⁰ And the people asked him, saying, What should we do then? ¹¹ He answered and said to them, He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.

¹² Then there came publicans to be baptized, who asked him, Master, what should we do? ¹³ And he said to them, Require no more than that which is appointed to you.

¹⁴ The soldiers likewise enquired of him, saying, And what should we do? And he said to them, Do violence to no man, neither trouble any man wrongfully, but be content with your wages.