Book of Common Prayer

²⁴ And after some time, Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, came and called for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith that is toward Christ. ²⁵ And as he preached of righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, That is enough at this time; depart. When I have a convenient time, I will send for you. ²⁶ He hoped also that Paul would give him money to set him free, so he called for him often and conversed with him.

²⁷ But after two years, Festus Porcius succeeded Felix. And Felix, wanting to please the Jews, left Paul bound in prison.

The Jews accuse Paul before Festus. Paul appeals to the Emperor and is sent to Rome.

25 When Festus had arrived in the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. ² Then the high priests and the chief men of the Jews made submissions to him about Paul. And they entreated him, ³ and requested his indulgence concerning Paul, that he would send for him to come to Jerusalem. And they planned to lay wait for him along the way, to kill him.

⁴ But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, but that he himself would shortly go there. ⁵ Therefore (said he), let those among you who are able to do it come down with us, and bring your case against him there, if there be any fault in the man.

⁶ When he had been in Jerusalem more than ten days, Festus departed to Caesarea. And the next day, he sat down in the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be brought. ⁷ When he appeared, the Jews that had come from Jerusalem came about him and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul – which they could not prove, ⁸ as long as he answered for himself that he had not offended against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, in anything at all.

⁹ Festus, wanting to please the Jews, answered Paul and said, Will you go to Jerusalem and be judged there before me concerning these things? ¹⁰ Then Paul said, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no harm, as you very well know. ¹¹ If I have hurt them, or committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. If none of these things are so, of which they accuse me, no one ought to deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar!

¹² Then Festus spoke with deliberation and answered, You have appealed to Caesar: to Caesar you shall go.

Christ, with his apostles, goes from town to town and preaches, explains the parable of the seed, says who is his mother and his brother, and stills the raging of the sea. He delivers the possessed man and drives the devils into the herd of swine, and helps the sick woman and Jairus’ daughter.

8 And it happened after that, that he went throughout cities and towns, preaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, ² and also certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, ³ and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them from their substance. 

⁴ When crowds of people were gathered together, having come to him out of all places, he spoke by a similitude: ⁵ A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden under foot, and the fowls of the air devoured it up. ⁶ And some fell on stone, and as soon as it had sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. ⁸ And some fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit a hundredfold.

And as he said these things, he called: He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

⁹ His disciples asked him, saying, What manner of similitude is this? ¹⁰ And he said, To you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God. But to others they remain in similitudes, so that when they see, they will not see, and when they hear, they will not understand.

¹¹ The similitude is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those who are beside the way are the people that hear, but afterward the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the stones are people who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. But these have no roots, and for a while believe, but in time of trial go away. ¹⁴ As for that which fell among thorns, this is those who hear and go forth, but are choked with cares, and with riches and voluptuous living, and bring forth no fruit. ¹⁵ As for that in the good ground, this is those who with a good and pure heart hear the word, and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.