Book of Common Prayer

¹⁸ My son Timothy, here is what I tell you to do. And it is what the prophets said about you before. Remember their words, and fight like a good soldier.

¹⁹ Keep on believing. Do only what you know is right. Some people have not done that and they have stopped believing.

²⁰ Hymenaeus and Alexander are among them. I have given them to Satan so that they will be punished and learn not to teach things that do not respect God.

2 First of all, I want God's people to do this. They must talk to God for all the people. They must ask God to help them. They must ask God to give them what they need. They must thank God for all that he gives them.

² They must talk to God for all the kings and all rulers. They must do this so that we may live in peace and quiet, so that we may please God and do what is right.

³ This is a good thing. And God, our Saviour, is pleased when people do it.

⁴ He wants all people to be saved and to know what is true.

⁵ There is one God. There is also one man who can open the way between God and all people. That man is Christ Jesus.

⁶ He gave his life to set all men free. This matter was told at the right time.

⁷ I was chosen to tell about this and to be an apostle. I am telling the truth. I am not lying. I was chosen to teach people who are not Jews. I must teach them to believe and to know what is true.

⁸ So I want men in every place to talk to God. They must have clean lives when they lift up their hands to talk to God. They must not be angry. They must have faith in God.

¹² In the morning when they were on the way out of Bethany, Jesus was hungry.

¹³ He saw a fig tree a little way off with leaves on it. So he went to see if it had figs. He came to the tree. There was no fruit on it, only leaves. It was not the time for figs.

¹⁴ Jesus said to the tree, `No one will ever eat a fig from you again!' His disciples heard what he said.

¹⁵ They reached Jerusalem. Jesus went into the temple. He began to drive out the people who were buying and selling in the temple. He threw down the tables of the money changers. He pushed down the seats of those who sold doves.

¹⁶ He would not let anyone carry anything through the temple.

¹⁷ He taught the people, saying, `The holy writings say, "My house shall be called a house for all tribes and nations, where people talk with God." But you have made it a place for people who steal!'

¹⁸ The chief priests and scribes heard what he said. They wanted to find some way to kill him. They feared Jesus because all the people were surprised at his teaching.

¹⁹ In the evening Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

²⁰ The next morning they passed the fig tree again. They saw that it had died from the roots.

²¹ Peter remembered about it. He said, `Look Master, you cursed the fig tree and it has died.'

²² Jesus said, `Believe in God.

²³ I tell you the truth. Anyone may say to this hill, "Go and jump into the sea." He must not doubt in his heart, but he must believe that he will have the things he asks for and he will have them.

²⁴ So I tell you, when you ask God for anything believe that you will get it and you will have it.

²⁵ When you stand and talk with God, forgive others for the wrong things they have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will also forgive you for the wrong things you have done.

²⁶ But if you do not forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive you for the wrong things you have done.'