Book of Common Prayer

3 Do you think we are starting again to tell how good we are? Do we need letters to tell about us, as some teachers do? We do not need letters to you or from you to praise us.

² You yourselves are our letter. This letter has been written in our hearts. All people can read it and understand it.

³ All can see that you are a letter from Christ written by us. It is not written in ink, but it is written in the Spirit of the living God. It is not written on pieces of rock, but on the hearts of people.

⁴ We can say this because we trust in God. And we trust in God because of Christ.

⁵ We are not good enough to think we can do anything ourselves. But God makes us able to do it.

⁶ God has made a new start with people. He has given us a new way back to God. It is not a written law. The Spirit gives it to us. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

⁷ The old law that brought death was written on pieces of rock. There was a very bright light when God gave it to the people. The people of Israel could not look at Moses because his face was so bright. And even as they saw it, the light on his face was going away.

⁸ Now bringing the law was bright and wonderful. Will not bringing the Spirit be far more bright and wonderful?

⁹ Bringing the law was a wonderful thing even though it brought death. So bringing the good news that people can be put right with God is much more wonderful.

¹⁰ The law was so bright and wonderful at first but has no light now. There is something else that is so much more bright and wonderful.

¹¹ The one which does not stay alive for ever came first in a great light. Does not the one which does stay alive have a much brighter light?

¹² Because we believe this, we do not fear.

¹³ We are not like Moses. He put a cloth over his face so that the people of Israel would not see that the light from God was dying.

¹⁴ But their minds were made dull. Even today, when the old law of God is read, it is as if a cloth still covers it. It is Christ who takes the cloth away.

¹⁵ Yes, even today, when the books of Moses are read, it is as if a cloth covers their hearts and minds.

¹⁶ But when a man turns to the Lord, the cloth is taken away.

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, people are set free.

¹⁸ All of us have no cloth over our faces. People can see that we have some of the bright and wonderful light that the Lord has. And we are becoming brighter and brighter, more and more like him. It is the Lord, the Spirit, who does this.

²⁷ `You have heard that the law says, "Do not commit adultery [have another man or woman who is not your husband or wife]."

²⁸ But I tell you that if a man looks at a woman and he wants her, then he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

²⁹ `If your right eye makes you do wrong, take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose a part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

³⁰ If your right hand makes you do wrong, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose a part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell fire.

³¹ `The law said, "Any man who does not want to keep his wife must give her a paper to tell others she is no longer his wife."

³² But I tell you, no man may send away his wife unless she has committed adultery. If he does send her away, he is making her commit adultery. And if a man marries a woman who has been sent away from her husband, he commits adultery.'

³³ `Also you have heard this said to men long ago, "You must not make a promise in God's name and break it." And, "You must do for the Lord what you said you would do."

³⁴ `But I tell you, do not make a promise in God's name. Do not use the name of heaven, because that is where God rules.

³⁵ Do not use the name of earth, because that is where God rests his feet. Do not use the name of Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.

³⁶ Do not make a promise by your head, because you cannot make one hair of your head white or black.

³⁷ You must mean "Yes" when you say "Yes". You must mean "No" when you say "No". To say anything more than that is wrong.'