Book of Common Prayer

The obedience of people to governing powers. Love fulfils the law. It is now no time to follow the works of darkness.

13 Let every soul submit himself to the authority of the higher powers. For there is no power except from God. The powers that be are ordained by God. ² Therefore whoever resists authority, resists the ordinance of God. And those who resist will bring retribution on themselves, ³ for rulers and authorities are not to be feared for good works, but for bad. Would you be without fear of the authority? Do well then, and you will be commended by the same. ⁴ For he is the minister of God for your welfare. But if you do wrong, then fear. For he does not bear a sword for nothing, but is the minister of God to take vengeance on those who do evil. ⁵ Therefore you must obey – not for fear of vengeance only, but also because of conscience. ⁶ And also for this reason, pay tribute. For the Roman authorities are God’s ministers, serving for the same purpose.

⁷ Give to all persons therefore that which is due to them: tribute to whom tribute belongs, custom to whom custom is due, fear to whom fear belongs, honour to whom honour pertains. ⁸ Owe nothing to anyone, but to love one another. For he who loves another, fulfils the law. ⁹ For these commandments – you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet, and so forth (if there be any other commandment) – are all comprehended in this saying: Love your neighbour as yourself. ¹⁰ Love does no harm to his neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

¹¹ This also we know – I mean the season, that it is time now to awake out of sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night has passed, and the day has come near. Let us therefore cast away the deeds of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. ¹³ Let us walk honourably, as in the daylight: not in revelry and drunkenness, nor in sleeping around and wantonness, nor in strife and envying, ¹⁴ but put on the Lord Jesus Christ. And do not make provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts.

³³ They answered him, We are Abraham’s seed, and were never bond to any man. Why do you say then, You shall be made free?

³⁴ Jesus answered them, Truly truly I say to you that whoever commits sin, is the servant of sin. ³⁵ And the servant does not abide in the house forever. But the Son abides forever. ³⁶ If the Son therefore makes you free, then you are free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s seed. But you seek means to kill me, because my sayings have no place in you. ³⁸ I speak that which I have seen with my Father, and you do that which you have seen with your father.

³⁹ They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father.

Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the deeds of Abraham.  ⁴⁰ But now you are going about to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I have heard from God. This Abraham did not do. ⁴¹ You do the deeds of your father.

Then they said to him, We were not born of fornication. We have one Father, who is God.

⁴² Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, then you would love me. For I proceeded forth and come from God. Neither did I come of myself, but he sent me. ⁴³ Why do you not know my speech? Even because you cannot abide the hearing of my words. ⁴⁴ You are of your father, the devil, and your will is to follow the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not abide in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own nature. For he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ And because I tell you the truth, therefore you do not believe me. ⁴⁶ Which of you can rebuke me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me? ⁴⁷ He who is of God hears God’s words. You therefore do not hear them, because you are not of God.