Book of Common Prayer

⁶ But godliness is great wealth, if a man is content with what he has. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and it is a plain case that we can carry nothing out. ⁸ When we have food and clothing, let us therewith be content. ⁹ Those who want to be rich fall into temptation and snares, and into many foolish and harmful desires, which drown men in perdition and destruction. ¹⁰ For covetousness is the root of all evil, which, when some followed after, they erred from the faith, and tangled themselves with many sorrows. ¹¹ But you who are the man of God, flee such things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, love, patience, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, to which you are called and have pledged yourself with a good profession before many witnesses.

¹³ I give you charge in the sight of God, who gives life to all things, and before Jesus Christ, who bore faithful witness under Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ to keep the commandment, and be without spot and unrebukeable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ – ¹⁵ which appearing (when the time is come) he will show, who is blessed and sole in dominion, King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, and dwells in light to which no man can attain, whom no man ever saw neither can see: to whom be honour and rule everlasting. Amen.

¹⁷ Charge those who are rich in this world not to be high-minded, and not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us abundantly all things, to enjoy them; ¹⁸ and to do good, and to be rich in good works, and ready to give and distribute, ¹⁹ laying up in store for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, so that they may obtain eternal life.

²⁰ O Timothy, preserve that which has been given you to keep, and avoid unspiritual vanities of voices, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so-called, ²¹ which knowledge has led some who profess it to err as concerning the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen.

Sent from Laodicea, which is the
chiefest city of Phrygia,
Pacatiana.

³⁶ Then Jesus sent the people away and went indoors. And his disciples came to him, saying, Explain to us the similitude of the tares of the field. ³⁷ Then he answered and said to them, He who sows the good seed is the Son of man. ³⁸ And the field is the world. And the children of the kingdom, they are the good seed. And the tares are the children of the wicked one: ³⁹ the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ For even as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. ⁴¹ The Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all injurious things, and those who do iniquity, ⁴² and will cast them into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then shall the just shine as bright as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!