Book of Common Prayer

¹³ For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not given to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the law are the heirs, then faith is but vain, and the promise of no effect. ¹⁵ Because the law causes wrath.

But where no law is, there is no transgression. ¹⁶ Therefore it is by faith that the inheritance is given, so that it may come by favour, and so the promise may be sure to all the seed – not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: I have made you a father to many nations, even before God whom you have believed, who gives life to the dead, and calls those things which are not, as though they were.

¹⁸ This Abraham, contrary to hope, believed in hope that he would be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken: Thus shall your seed be. ¹⁹ And he fainted not in the faith, nor yet considered his own body (which was now dead inasmuch as he was almost a hundred years old), nor yet that Sarah was past childbearing. ²⁰ He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was made strong in the faith and gave honour to God, ²¹ fully persuaded that what he had promised, that he was able to make good. ²² And therefore it was reckoned to him for righteousness.

²³ It is not written for him only that faith was reckoned to him for righteousness, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom it will be credited as righteousness if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from death, ²⁵ who was delivered for our sins, and rose up again to justify us.

Christ teaches by a similitude that God is debtor to no man, and how he is always calling people to his work. He teaches his disciples to be lowly, and gives two blind men their sight.

20 For the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. ² And he agreed with the labourers for a denarius a day, and sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place, ⁴ and said to them, Go ye also into my vineyard, and whatever is right, I will give you. And they went their way.

⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶ And he went out about the eleventh hour and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why do you stand here idle all the day? ⁷ They said to him, Because no one has hired us. He said to them, Go ye also into my vineyard, and whatever is right, that you will receive.

⁸ When evening was come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, Call the labourers and give them their wages, beginning at the last till you come to the first.

⁹ And those who were hired about the eleventh hour came and received every man a denarius. ¹⁰ Then came the first, supposing that they would receive more, but they likewise received every man a denarius. ¹¹ And when they had received it, they murmured against the master of the house, ¹² saying, These last have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and heat of the day.

¹³ He answered to one of them, saying, Friend, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take that which is your due, and go your way. I want to give to the last one as much as to you. ¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do as I please with what belongs to me? Is your eye evil because I am good?

¹⁶ In like manner the last may be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.