Book of Common Prayer

The sign of life

¹ From the Elder to the Chosen Lady and her children, whom I love in truth—as indeed, in addition to myself, do all those who know the truth, ² because of the truth that abides in us and is with us forever. ³ Grace, mercy and peace from God the father and from Jesus the Messiah, the son of the father, be with us in truth and love.

⁴ I was delighted when I found some of your children walking in the truth, just as we received the commandment from the father. ⁵ And now, dear Lady, I am writing to you, not indeed a new commandment, but the one we had from the very beginning, that we should love one another. ⁶ This is love: that we should behave in accordance with his commandments. And this is the commandment, just as you heard it from the very start, that we should behave in accordance with it.

Don’t be deceived!

⁷ Many deceivers, you see, have gone out into the world. These are people who do not admit that Jesus the Messiah has come in the flesh. Such a person is the Deceiver—the Antimessiah! ⁸ Watch out for yourselves, so that you won’t lose what we have worked for, but may receive the full reward.

⁹ Anyone who goes out on their own, and does not abide in the teaching of the Messiah, does not have God. One who abides in the teaching—such a one has the father and the son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, don’t receive them into the house; don’t even give them a greeting. ¹¹ Anyone who utters a greeting to such a person shares in their wicked deeds.

¹² I have many things to write to you, but I did not wish to write with pen and ink. I am hoping instead to come to you, and to speak face to face. That will complete our joy.

¹³ The children of your Chosen Sister send you greetings.

Lord of the sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the cornfields on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears of corn and eat them. ² When the Pharisees observed this they said to him, “Look here! Your disciples are doing something that’s not permitted on the sabbath!”

³ “Did you never read what David did?” replied Jesus. “When he and his men were hungry, ⁴ they went into God’s house and ate the holy bread which neither he nor his men were allowed to eat—only the priests had that right. ⁵ Or didn’t you read in the law that the priests in the Temple do things on the sabbath which are against sabbath law—and they aren’t guilty? ⁶ Let me tell you this: something greater than the Temple is here. ⁷ If you’d known what this saying means:

you wouldn’t have passed judgment on blameless people. ⁸ Yes, you see: the son of man is master of the sabbath, too.”

⁹ He left the place and went into their synagogue, ¹⁰ where there was a man with a withered hand.

They put the question to him: “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?”

(They asked this so that they could frame a charge against him.)

¹¹ “Supposing one of you has just one sheep,” replied Jesus, “and it falls into a ditch on the sabbath. You’ll grab it and haul it out, won’t you? ¹² Well then, think how much more important a human being is than a sheep! So, you see, it is permitted to do good on the sabbath.”

¹³ Then he said to the man, “Stretch your hand out.” He stretched it out, and it was restored to health, just like the other one. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went off and plotted against him, with the intention of doing away with him.