Book of Common Prayer

¹³ For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not given to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the law are the heirs, then faith is but vain, and the promise of no effect. ¹⁵ Because the law causes wrath.

But where no law is, there is no transgression. ¹⁶ Therefore it is by faith that the inheritance is given, so that it may come by favour, and so the promise may be sure to all the seed – not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: I have made you a father to many nations, even before God whom you have believed, who gives life to the dead, and calls those things which are not, as though they were.

¹⁸ This Abraham, contrary to hope, believed in hope that he would be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken: Thus shall your seed be. ¹⁹ And he fainted not in the faith, nor yet considered his own body (which was now dead inasmuch as he was almost a hundred years old), nor yet that Sarah was past childbearing. ²⁰ He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was made strong in the faith and gave honour to God, ²¹ fully persuaded that what he had promised, that he was able to make good. ²² And therefore it was reckoned to him for righteousness.

²³ It is not written for him only that faith was reckoned to him for righteousness, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom it will be credited as righteousness if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from death, ²⁵ who was delivered for our sins, and rose up again to justify us.

²³ And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?

²⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask of you a certain question, which, if you answer me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵ The baptism of John: whence was it? from heaven, or of men?

Then they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say to us, why did you not then believe him? ²⁶ But if we say it was of men, then we fear the people. (For everyone held John to be a prophet.)

²⁷ And they answered Jesus and said, We don’t know.

And he likewise said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁸ What do you say to this: A certain man had two sons, and went to the elder and said, Son, go and work today in my vineyard. ²⁹ He answered and said, I will not, but afterward he repented and went. ³⁰ Then the father went to the second son and said likewise. And he answered and said, I will, Sir. Yet he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of the father?

And they said to him, The first.

Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that the publicans and the harlots shall come into the kingdom of God before you. ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him. And yet you, though you saw it, were still not moved with repentance, so that you might afterward have believed him.