Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

I Love the Lord

Taming the Tongue

3 ^(A)Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ² For ^(B)we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, ^(C)he is a perfect man, ^(D)able also to bridle his whole body. ³ If we put ^(E)bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴ Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet ^(F)it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶ And ^(G)the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^(H)staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,^[a] and set on fire by hell.^{[b] 7} For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, ^(I)full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people ^(J)who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,^[c] these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

^27 (A)And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸ And they told him, ^(B)“John the Baptist; and others say, ^(C)Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹ And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, ^(D)“You are ^(E)the Christ.” ^30 (F)And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

^31 (G)And he began to teach them that ^(H)the Son of Man must ^(I)suffer many things and ^(J)be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and ^(K)after three days rise again. ³² And he said this ^(L)plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ^(M)“Get behind me, Satan! For you ^(N)are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(O)deny himself and ^(P)take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For ^(Q)whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake ^(R)and the gospel's will save it. ^36 (S)For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For ^(T)what can a man give in return for his soul? ³⁸ For ^(U)whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this ^(V)adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed ^(W)when he comes in the glory of his Father with ^(X)the holy angels.”