Book of Common Prayer

¹⁴ And so, my dear beloveds, flee from the worshipping of idols. ¹⁵ I speak as to people who have discernment. Judge what I say. ¹⁶ Is not the cup of blessing that we bless, partaking of the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break, partaking of the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because we, though we be many, yet are one bread and one body, inasmuch as we are all partakers of one bread. ¹⁸ Observe Israel which walks carnally; are not those who eat of the sacrifice, partakers of the altar?

¹⁹ What am I saying then? That the idol is anything? or that what is offered to idols is anything? ²⁰ No, but I say that these things that the Gentiles offer, they offer to devils, and not to God. And I do not want you to have fellowship with the devils. ²¹ You cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and of the cup of the devils. You cannot be partakers of the Lord’s Table and of the table of devils. ²² Or shall we provoke the Lord? Are we stronger than he?

All things are lawful to me, but all things are not helpful. ²³ All things are lawful to me, but all things do not edify. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own profit, but let each seek the welfare of the other. ²⁵ Whatever is sold in the market, eat it, and ask no questions for conscience’ sake. ²⁶ For the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it. ²⁷ If any unbelievers invite you to a feast and if you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. ²⁸ But if anyone says to you, This is dedicated to idols, then do not eat of it – for the sake of the one who told you and for injury of conscience.

The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it.

²⁹ Conscience, I say: not yours, but the conscience of that other. For why should my liberty be judged by another man’s conscience? ³⁰ For if I share in the meal with thanks, why am I ill spoken of for the thing I give thanks for? ³¹ Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ³² See that you give no occasion of evil, neither to the Jews nor yet to the Gentiles, nor to the congregation of God – ³³ even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of many, so that they might be saved. 11 ¹ Follow me, as I do Christ.

²⁴ From there he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and wanted no one to know. But he could not be hid. ²⁵ For a certain woman whose daughter had a foul spirit heard of him, and came and fell at his feet. ²⁶ The woman was a Greek out of Syro-Phoenicia, and she besought him to cast the devil out of her daughter. ²⁷ And Jesus said to her, Let the children first be fed. For it is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to dogs. ²⁸ She answered and said to him, Quite so, Master. Nevertheless, the dogs also eat under the table of the children’s crumbs. ²⁹ And he said to her, For this saying, go your way; the devil has gone out of your daughter. ³⁰ And when she arrived home, she found the devil departed, and her daughter lying on the bed.

³¹ And he departed again from the region of Tyre and Sidon, and went to the Sea of Galilee through the region of the Ten Cities. ³² And some people brought to him a man who was deaf and stammered in his speech, and asked him to put his hand upon him. ³³ And he took him aside from the people, and put his fingers in his ears, and spat, and touched his tongue, ³⁴ and looked up to heaven and sighed, and said to him, Ephatha; that is to say, Be opened. ³⁵ And straightaway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

³⁶ And Jesus directed them to tell no one. But the more he forbad them, so much the more greatly they spoke of it. ³⁷ And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He has done all things well, and has made both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.