Book of Common Prayer

What good and evil comes through the tongue. The duty of the learned. The difference between the wisdom of the gospel and the wisdom of the world.

3 My brethren, be not every man a counsellor, remembering that we will receive the stricter judgment. ² For in many things, we all sin.

If a person does not sin in word, he is a perfect man, and able to tame all the body. ³ Behold, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, and we turn about all their body. ⁴ Behold also the ships, which, though they be so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet are turned about with a very small helm, wherever the helmsman chooses to steer. ⁵ Even so the tongue is a little member, yet boasts great things.

Behold how great a thing a little fire kindles. ⁶ And the tongue is fire, and a world of wickedness. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets afire all the course of our life, and is itself set afire even by hell.

⁷ All kinds of beasts, and of birds and of serpents and things of the sea, are meeked and tamed by the powers of man. ⁸ But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless God the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ Out of one mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. ¹¹ Does a spring send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter also? ¹² Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries, or a vine bear figs? Likewise can no spring give both salt water and fresh also.

The passion of Christ. Of his death and burial.

15 And early in the dawning, the high priests consulted with the elders and the scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus and led him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

² And Pilate asked him, Are you the king of the Jews? And he answered and said to him, It is as you say. ³ And the high priests accused him of many things. ⁴ So Pilate asked him again, saying, Do you answer nothing? Look how many things they lay to your charge. ⁵ But Jesus still answered never a word, so that Pilate marvelled.

⁶ At that feast it was Pilate’s custom to release to the people, at their pleasure, a prisoner – whomever they desired. ⁷ And there was one named Barabbas, who lay bound with those who had made insurrection, and in the insurrection had committed murder. ⁸ And the people called to Pilate and began to ask that he do as usual for them. ⁹ Pilate answered them and said, Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? ¹⁰ For he knew that the high priests had delivered him out of envy. ¹¹ But the high priests had moved the people to have Barabbas released to them instead.