Book of Common Prayer

Freedom in Christ

5 The Messiah set us free so that we could enjoy freedom! So stand firm, and don’t get yourselves tied down by the chains of slavery.

² Look here: I, Paul, am telling you that if you get circumcised, the Messiah will be of no use to you. ³ I testify once more, against every person who gets circumcised, that he is thereby under obligation to perform the entire law. ⁴ You are split off from the Messiah, you people who want to be justified by the law! You have dropped out of grace. ⁵ For we are waiting eagerly, by the spirit and by faith, for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in the Messiah, Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any power. What matters is faith, working through love.

Warnings against compromise

⁷ You were running well. Who got in your way and stopped you being persuaded by the truth? ⁸ This persuasion didn’t come from the one who called you! ⁹ A little leaven works its way through the whole lump. ¹⁰ I am persuaded in the Lord that you won’t differ from me on this. But the one who is troubling you will bear the blame, whoever he may be. ¹¹ As for me, my dear family, if I am still announcing circumcision, why are people still persecuting me? If I were, the scandal of the cross would have been neutralized. ¹² If only those who are making trouble for you would cut the whole lot off!

The law and the spirit

¹³ When God called you, my dear family, he called you to make you free. But you mustn’t use that freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, you must become each other’s servants, through love. ¹⁴ For the whole law is summed up in one word, namely this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite each other and devour each other, watch out! You may end up being destroyed by each other.

The leaven of the Pharisees

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tried to catch him out by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

² This was his reply to them: “When it’s evening you say, ‘Sky looks like wine, it’s going to be fine.’ ³ And in the morning you say, ‘Red in the sky, rain by and by.’ Well then: you know how to work out the look of the sky, so why can’t you work out the signs of the times? ⁴ The generation that wants a sign is wicked and corrupt! No sign will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.”

With that, he left them and went away.

⁵ When the disciples crossed over the lake, they forgot to bring any bread. ⁶ “Watch out,” said Jesus to them, “and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

⁷ They discussed it with each other. “It’s because we didn’t bring any bread,” they said.

⁸ But Jesus knew what they were thinking. “You really are a little-faith lot!” he said. “Why are you discussing with each other that you haven’t got any bread? ⁹ Don’t you understand, even now? Don’t you remember the five loaves and the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you picked up afterwards? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves and the four thousand, and how many baskets you picked up? ¹¹ Why can’t you see that I wasn’t talking about bread? Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”

¹² Then they understood that he wasn’t telling them to beware of the leaven you get in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.