Book of Common Prayer

Exhortation to steadfastness

¹³ But we always owe God a debt of gratitude for you, my family beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits of his work of salvation, through sanctification by the spirit and belief of the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

¹⁵ So then, my dear family, stand firm, and hold on tight to the traditions which you were taught, whether through what we said or through our letter. ¹⁶ And may our Lord Jesus the Messiah himself, and God our father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.

Requests for prayer

3 Finally, my dear family, pray for us, that the word of the Lord will go forward quickly and be glorified, as it has among you; ² and that we may be rescued from evil and wicked people. Not all, you see, have faith! ³ But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

⁴ We are confident in the Lord about you, that you are doing, and will continue to do, what we instructed you. ⁵ May the Lord direct your hearts towards the love of God and the patience of the Messiah.

¹⁴ When the time came, Jesus sat down at table with the apostles.

¹⁵ “I have been so much looking forward to eating this Passover with you before I have to suffer,” he said to them. ¹⁶ “For—let me tell you—I won’t eat it again until it’s fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷ Then he took a cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸ Let me tell you, from now on I won’t drink from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ Then he took some bread. He gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them.

“This is my body,” he said, “which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.”

²⁰ So too, after supper, with the cup: “This cup,” he said, “is the new covenant, in my blood which is shed for you.

²¹ “But look here! Someone here is going to betray me. His hand is with mine at this table. ²² The son of man is indeed going, as it is marked out for him; but woe betide that man by whom he is betrayed!”

²³ They began to ask each other which of them was going to do this.

Prediction of Peter’s denial

²⁴ A quarrel began among them: which of them would be seen as the most important?

²⁵ “Pagan kings lord it over their subjects,” said Jesus to them, “and people in power get themselves called ‘Benefactors.’ ²⁶ That’s not how it’s to be with you. The most important among you ought to be like the youngest. The leader should be like the servant. ²⁷ After all, who is the more important, the one who sits at table or the one who waits on him? The one at table, obviously! But I am with you here like a servant.

²⁸ “You are the ones who have stuck it out with me through the trials I’ve had to endure. ²⁹ This is my bequest to you: the kingdom my father bequeathed to me! ³⁰ What does this mean? You will eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.