Book of Common Prayer
Address in Antioch
13 Paul and his companions set off from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and went back to Jerusalem. 14 But they came through from Perga and arrived in Antioch of Pisidia, where they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and sat down. 15 After the reading of the law and the prophets, the ruler of the synagogue sent word to them.
“My brothers,” he said, “if you have any word of exhortation for the people, let us hear it.”
16 So Paul stood up and motioned with his hand for attention.
“Fellow Israelites,” he said, “and the godfearers among you: listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, and he raised the people up to greatness during their stay in the land of Egypt. Then he led them out from there with his outstretched hand, 18 and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert. 19 He drove out seven nations from the land of Canaan, and gave them the land as their inheritance 20 for about four hundred and fifty years. After that, he gave them judges, up until Samuel the prophet. 21 After that, they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. He ruled for forty years, 22 and after God had removed him he raised up for them David as king. He is the one to whom God bore witness when he said, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will accomplish all my purpose.’
23 “From this man’s offspring, in accordance with his promise, God has produced a savior for Israel: Jesus! 24 Before he appeared, John had announced a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. 25 As John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose I am? I am not the one. But look: someone is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’ ”
18 The Judaeans didn’t believe that he really had been blind and now could see. So they called the parents of the newly sighted man, 19 and put the question to them.
“Is this man really your son,” they asked, “the one you say was born blind? How is it that he can now see?”
20 “Well,” replied his parents, “we know that he is indeed our son, and that he was born blind. 21 But we don’t know how it is that he can now see, and we don’t know who it was that opened his eyes. Ask him! He’s grown up. He can speak for himself.”
22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Judaeans. The Judaeans, you see, had already decided that if anyone declared that Jesus was the Messiah, they should be put out of the synagogue. 23 That’s why his parents said, “He’s grown up, so you should ask him.”
Is Jesus from God?
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind.
“Give God the glory!” they said. “We know that this man is a sinner.”
25 “I don’t know whether he’s a sinner or not,” replied the man. “All I know is this: I used to be blind, and now I can see.”
26 “What did he do to you?” they asked. “How did he open your eyes?”
27 “I told you already,” replied the man, “and you didn’t listen. Why d’you want to hear it again? You don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”
28 “You’re his disciple,” they scoffed, “but we are Moses’s disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don’t know where this man comes from.”
30 “Well, here’s a fine thing!” replied the man. “You don’t know where he’s from, and he opened my eyes! 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners; but if anyone is devout, and does his will, he listens to them. 32 It’s never, ever been heard of before that someone should open the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man wasn’t from God, he couldn’t do anything.”
34 “You were born in sin from top to toe,” they replied, “and are you going to start teaching us?” And they threw him out.
Seeing and not seeing
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out. He found him and spoke to him.
“Do you believe in the son of man?” he asked.
36 “Who is he, sir,” asked the man, “so that I can believe in him?”
37 “You have seen him,” replied Jesus. “In fact, it’s the person who’s talking to you.”
38 “Yes, sir,” said the man; “I do believe.” And he worshiped him.
39 “I came into the world for judgment,” said Jesus, “so that those who can’t see would see, and so that those who can see would become blind.”
40 Some of the Pharisees were nearby, and they heard this.
“So!” they said. “We’re blind too, are we?”
41 “If you were blind,” replied Jesus, “you wouldn’t be guilty of sin. But now, because you say, ‘We can see,’ your sin remains.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.