Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Paul’s distress over the Galatians
1 Paul, an apostle . . . (my apostleship doesn’t derive from human sources, nor did it come through a human being; it came through Jesus the Messiah, and God the father who raised him from the dead) . . . 2 and the family who are with me; to the churches of Galatia. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our father and Jesus the Messiah, our Lord, 4 who gave himself for our sins, to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of God our father, 5 to whom be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.
6 I’m astonished that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by grace, and going after another gospel— 7 not that it is another gospel, it’s just that there are some people stirring up trouble for you and wanting to pervert the gospel of the Messiah. 8 But even if we—or an angel from heaven!—should announce a gospel other than the one we announced to you, let such a person be accursed. 9 I said it before and I now say it again: if anyone offers you a gospel other than the one you received, let that person be accursed.
Paul’s conversion and call
10 Well now . . . does that sound as though I’m trying to make up to people—or to God? Or that I’m trying to curry favor with people? If I were still pleasing people, I wouldn’t be a slave of the Messiah.
11 You see, brothers and sisters, let me make it clear to you: the gospel announced by me is not a mere human invention. 12 I didn’t receive it from human beings, nor was I taught it; it came through an unveiling of Jesus the Messiah.
The healing of the centurion’s servant
7 When Jesus had finished saying all these words in the hearing of the people, he went into Capernaum.
2 There was a centurion who had a slave who was particularly precious to him. This slave was ill, at the point of death. 3 The centurion heard about Jesus, and sent some Jewish elders to him, to ask him to come and rescue his slave. 4 They approached Jesus and begged him eagerly.
“He deserves a favor like this from you,” they said. 5 “He loves our people, and he himself built us our synagogue.”
6 Jesus went with them.
When he was not far off from the house, the centurion sent friends to him with a further message.
“Master,” he said, “don’t trouble yourself. I don’t deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That’s why I didn’t think myself worthy to come to you in person. But—just say the word, and my slave will be healed. 8 You see, I’m used to living under authority, and I have soldiers reporting to me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; to another one, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard this he was astonished.
“Let me tell you,” he said, turning to the crowd that was following him, “I haven’t found faith of this kind, even in Israel.”
10 The people who had been sent to him went back to the house. There they found the slave in good health.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.