Book of Common Prayer
Christ the seed, Christ the mediator
15 My brothers and sisters, let me use a human illustration. When someone makes a covenanted will, nobody sets it aside or adds to it. 16 Well, the promises were made “to Abraham and his seed,” that is, his family. It doesn’t say “his seeds,” as though referring to several families, but indicates a single family by saying “and to your seed,” meaning the Messiah.
17 This is what I mean. God made this covenanted will; the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, can’t undermine it and make the promise null and void. 18 If the inheritance came through the law, it would no longer be by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the family should come to whom it had been promised. It was laid down by angels, at the hand of a mediator. 20 He, however, is not the mediator of the “one”—but God is one!
21 Is the law then against God’s promises? Of course not! No, if a law had been given that could have given life, then covenant membership really would have been by the law. 22 But the Bible shut up everything together under the power of sin, so that the promise—which comes by the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah—might be given to those who believe.
22 Jesus at once made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the opposite shore, while he dismissed the crowds.
Jesus walks on water
23 After he had sent the crowds away, Jesus went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came he was there by himself. 24 The boat had already gone some distance from the shore and was being smashed around by the waves, since the wind was against it.
25 At the very dead of night he came towards them, walking on the water. 26 The disciples saw him walking on the sea and panicked. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they screamed in terror. 27 But Jesus at once spoke to them.
“Cheer up,” he said, “it’s me! Don’t be frightened!”
28 “If it’s really you, Master,” said Peter in reply, “give me the word to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come along, then,” said Jesus.
Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came towards Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind he was afraid, and began to sink.
“Master,” he yelled, “rescue me!”
31 Jesus at once reached out his hand and caught him.
“A fine lot of faith you’ve got!” he said. “Why did you doubt?”
32 They got into the boat, and the wind died down. 33 The people in the boat worshiped him.
“You really are God’s son!” they said.
34 So they crossed over to the land called Gennesaret. 35 The men of that region recognized him and sent word to all the surrounding district. They brought all their sick people to him, 36 and begged him to be allowed simply to touch the hem of his clothes. And everyone who touched it was cured.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.