Book of Common Prayer
God’s secret plan unveiled at last
3 It’s because of all this that I, Paul, the prisoner of Messiah Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles . . .
2 I’m assuming, by the way, that you’ve heard about the plan of God’s grace that was given to me to pass on to you? 3 You know—the secret purpose that God revealed to me, as I wrote briefly just now? 4 Anyway . . .
When you read this you’ll be able to understand the special insight I have into the Messiah’s secret. 5 This wasn’t made known to human beings in previous generations, but now it’s been revealed by the spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 The secret is this: that, through the gospel, the Gentiles are to share Israel’s inheritance. They are to become fellow members of the body, along with them, and fellow sharers of the promise in Messiah Jesus.
7 This is the gospel that I was appointed to serve, in line with the free gift of God’s grace that was given to me. It was backed up with the power through which God accomplishes his work.
Wisdom for the rulers
8 I am the very least of all God’s people. However, he gave me this task as a gift: that I should be the one to tell the Gentiles the good news of the Messiah’s wealth, wealth no one could begin to count. 9 My job is to make clear to everyone just what the secret plan is, the purpose that’s been hidden from the very beginning of the world in God who created all things. 10 This is it: that God’s wisdom, in all its rich variety, was to be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places—through the church!
11 This was God’s eternal purpose, and he’s accomplished it in Messiah Jesus our Lord. 12 We have confidence, and access to God, in him, in full assurance, through his faithfulness. 13 So, I beg you: don’t lose heart because of my sufferings on your behalf! That’s your glory!
5 Jesus went into Capernaum. A centurion came up and pleaded with him.
6 “Master,” he said, “my servant is lying at home, paralyzed. He’s in a very bad state.”
7 “I’ll come and make him better,” said Jesus.
8 “Master,” replied the centurion, “I don’t deserve to have you come under my roof! Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know what authority’s all about, you see—I’ve got soldiers answering to me, and I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another one, ‘Come here!’ and he comes, and I can say, ‘Do this,’ to my slave, and he does it!”
10 Jesus was fair amazed when he heard this.
“I’m telling you the truth,” he said to the people who were following. “I haven’t found faith like this—not even in Israel! 11 Let me tell you this: lots of people will come from East and West and join the great party of celebration with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness, where people will weep and gnash their teeth.”
13 Then he turned to the centurion.
“Go home,” he said. “Let it be for you as you believed.”
And his servant was healed at that very moment.
On following Jesus
14 Jesus went into Peter’s house. There he saw Peter’s mother-in-law laid low with a fever. 15 He touched her hand. The fever left her, and she got up and waited on him.
16 When evening came, they brought to him many people who were possessed by demons. He cast out the spirits with a word of command, and healed everyone who was sick. 17 This happened so that the word spoken by Isaiah the prophet might come true:
He himself took our weaknesses
and bore our diseases.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.