Book of Common Prayer

Paul confronts Peter in Antioch

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I stood up to him face to face. He was in the wrong. ¹² Before certain persons came from James, Peter was eating with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, because he was afraid of the circumcision-people. ¹³ The rest of the Jews did the same, joining him in this play-acting. Even Barnabas was carried along by their sham. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they weren’t walking straight down the line of gospel truth, I said to Cephas in front of them all: “Look here: you’re a Jew, but you’ve been living like a Gentile. How can you force Gentiles to become Jews?”

Justified by faith, not works of law

¹⁵ We are Jews by birth, not “Gentile sinners.” ¹⁶ But we know that a person is not declared “righteous” by works of the Jewish law, but through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah.

That is why we too believed in the Messiah, Jesus: so that we might be declared “righteous” on the basis of the Messiah’s faithfulness, and not on the basis of works of the Jewish law. On that basis, you see, no creature will be declared “righteous.”

¹⁷ Well, then; if, in seeking to be declared “righteous” in the Messiah, we ourselves are found to be “sinners,” does that make the Messiah an agent of “sin”? Certainly not! ¹⁸ If I build up once more the things which I tore down, I demonstrate that I am a lawbreaker.

¹⁹ Let me explain it like this. Through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with the Messiah. ²⁰ I am, however, alive—but it isn’t me any longer, it’s the Messiah who lives in me. And the life I do still live in the flesh, I live within the faithfulness of the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

²¹ I don’t set aside God’s grace. If “righteousness” comes through the law, then the Messiah died for nothing.

¹³ They cast out several demons; and they anointed many sick people with oil, and cured them.

The speculations of Herod

¹⁴ Jesus’ name became well known, and reached the ears of King Herod.

“It’s John the Baptist,” he said, “risen from the dead! That’s why these powers are at work in him.”

¹⁵ Other people said, “It’s Elijah!”

Others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the old prophets.”

¹⁶ “No,” said Herod when he heard this. “It’s John. I cut off his head, and he’s been raised.”

Herod and John the Baptist

¹⁷ What had happened was this. Herod had married Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. ¹⁸ John regularly told Herod it wasn’t right for him to take his brother’s wife; so Herod gave the word, arrested him and tied him up in prison. ¹⁹ Herodias kept up a grudge against him and wanted to kill him, but couldn’t; ²⁰ Herod knew that John was a just and holy man, and he was afraid of him. So he protected him, and used to listen to him regularly. What he heard disturbed him greatly, and yet he enjoyed listening to him.

²¹ And then, one day, the moment came. There was a great party. It was Herod’s birthday, and he gave a feast for his leading retainers, militia officers, and the great and good of Galilee. ²² Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, and Herod and his guests were delighted.

“Tell me what you’d like,” said the king to the girl, “and I’ll give it you!”

²³ He swore to her, over and over again, “Whatever you ask me, I’ll give it you—right up to half my kingdom!”

²⁴ She went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she replied.

²⁵ So she went back at once to the king, all eager, and made her request: “I want you to give me, right now, on a dish—the head of John the Baptist!”

²⁶ The king was distraught. But his oaths on the one hand, and his guests on the other, meant he hadn’t the guts to refuse her. ²⁷ So he sent a jailer straight away with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ brought the head on a dish, and gave it to the girl. The girl gave it to her mother.

²⁹ When John’s followers heard about it, they came and took his body, and buried it in a tomb.