Book of Common Prayer

So Elders, Lead By Example

5 Therefore^[a] I exhort the elders among you, I the fellow-elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, the sharer^[b] also of the glory going-to be revealed: ² Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising-oversight— not by-compulsion^[c], but willingly^[d], according to God; nor greedily, but eagerly; ³ nor as lording-over^[e] your lots^[f], but being patterns for the flock. ⁴ And the Chief-shepherd having appeared, you will receive the unfading crown of ^[g] glory.

Young Men, Follow

⁵ Likewise, younger men— be subject to the^[h] elders.

Everyone, Be Humble And Keep Watch For The Adversary

And everyone— clothe-yourselves-with humblemindedness toward one another. Because “God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble” [Prov 3:34]. ⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God in order that He may exalt you at the proper-time, ⁷ having cast all your anxiety^[i] upon Him, because He is concerned^[j] about you. ⁸ Be sober, keep-watch. Your adversary the devil is walking-around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour— ⁹ whom resist, firm in the^[k] faith, knowing that the same kinds of sufferings are being accomplished^[l] by your brotherhood in the world.

And The God of All Grace Will Establish You After Your Sufferings

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, the One having called you into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus— you having suffered a little— will Himself restore, support, strengthen, establish you. ¹¹ To Him be the dominion forever, amen.

Beware of False Prophets. The Nature of What They Produce Will Reveal Them

¹⁵ “Beware of the false-prophets— who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inside are ravenous^[a] wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits. They do not collect grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles, do they? ¹⁷ Thus, every good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces bad^[b] fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor is a bad tree able to produce good^[c] fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So indeed, you will know them by their fruits.

Not Everyone Talking About God Knows Him. Only Those Doing His Will Enter His Kingdom

²¹ “Not everyone saying to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of My Father in the heavens. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast-out demons in Your name, and do many miracles^[d] in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare^[e] to them that ‘I never knew^[f] you. Depart from Me, ones working lawlessness’. ²⁴ Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and is doing them will be-like a wise^[g] man who built his house upon the bed-rock. ²⁵ And the rain came down, and the rivers^[h] came, and the winds blew— and they fell against that house. And it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the bed-rock. ²⁶ And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. ²⁷ And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew— and they struck-against that house. And it fell, and the falling^[i] of it was great”.

The Works of The King: Divine Power In Action

²⁸ And it came about that when Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astounded^[j] at His teaching. ²⁹ For He was teaching them as One having authority, and not as their scribes.