Book of Common Prayer

He warns them to beware of false teachers, whom he calls dogs, evil workers, and enemies of Christ. He reproves man’s own righteousness.

3 Moreover, my brethren, put your trust in the Lord. It grieves me not to write the same thing often to you, for to you it is a safeguard. ² Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of dissension.

³ For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and trust in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh – ⁴ though I have whereof I might be confident in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has reason to trust in the flesh, I have much more: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the kindred of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of the Hebrews; as concerning the law, a Pharisee, ⁶ and as concerning zeal, I persecuted the congregation. And as for the righteousness that is in the law, I was unrebukable.

⁷ But the things that were of advantage to me, I counted worthless for Christ’s sake. ⁸ Yea, I think all things worthless for the sake of the supreme and precious knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For him I have counted all things a waste, and do judge them but dung, so that I may win Christ, ⁹ and may be found in him – not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith that is in Christ. I mean the righteousness which comes from God through faith, ¹⁰ in knowing him, and the power of the resurrection, and the fellowship of his passions, so that I may be conformable to his death, ¹¹ if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.

¹² It is not as if I had already attained to it, or were already perfect. But I press on, if so be that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself as having gotten it. But one thing I say: I forget that which is behind and reach for that which is ahead, ¹⁴ and press on to that mark appointed, to obtain the reward of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as are sound in the faith, be so minded. And if you are otherwise minded, I pray God would open this to you.

¹⁶ Nevertheless, in that to which we have come, let us proceed by one rule so that we may be of one accord.

The baptism, preaching, and office of John the Baptist, and how Christ was baptized by him in the Jordan.

3 In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the wilderness of Judea, ² saying, Repent: the kingdom of heaven is at hand! ³ This is he of whom it is spoken by the prophet Isaiah, who says, The voice of a crier in wilderness: Prepare the Lord’s way, and make his paths straight.

⁴ This John had his garment of camel’s hair, and a girdle of skin about his loins. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ At that time Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan, went out to him, ⁶ and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O offspring of vipers, who has taught you to flee from the vengeance to come? ⁸ Bring forth therefore the fruits belonging to repentance. ⁹ And see that you ones do not think to say in yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now is the axe put to the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. ¹¹ I baptize you in water in token of repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹² He has also his fan in his hand, and will purge his floor, and gather the wheat into his garner, and will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.