Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

6 What shall we say then? Shall we keep on doing wrong things so that God will be more kind to us?

² No, surely not! We died to our wrong ways and no longer live in them.

³ All of us have been baptised in water. This means we are joined to Christ Jesus. We were baptised into his death. Do you know that?

⁴ We were buried when he was buried because we were baptised into his death. Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father. So we also must live a new life.

⁵ Have we shared with Christ and died as he died? Then we shall share with him by rising from death as he arose.

⁶ We know this is true. The old person we used to be was nailed to the cross with him, so that our bodies which do wrong things would die. Then we will no longer be like slaves to the wrong things we used to do.

⁷ Anyone who has died no longer does wrong things.

⁸ If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

⁹ We know that Christ was raised from death and will not die again. Death has no power over him any more.

¹⁰ He died. And he died once for all time, so that people would stop their wrong ways. But now he lives. And he lives for God.

¹¹ So you also must think you are dead, and stop your wrong ways. And you must think you are living for God along with Christ Jesus our Lord.

²⁴ `The one who learns is not better than his teacher. And the servant is not better than his master.

²⁵ The one who learns should want to be like his teacher. And the servant should want to be like his master. If they say the master belongs to the devil, they will say it all the more about those who work for him.'

²⁶ `So do not be afraid of people. Everything that is hidden will be seen. Everything that is hidden will be known.

²⁷ What I say to you in the dark, tell it in the light. What you hear in secret, shout to others from the tops of the houses.

²⁸ Do not fear people who can kill the body. They cannot kill the spirit. But fear the one who can destroy both spirit and body in hell.

²⁹ Are not two sparrows worth only a small amount of money? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father knowing about it.

³⁰ Even the number of hairs on your head is known.

³¹ So do not fear. You are worth more than many sparrows.'

³² `If anyone tells people that he knows me, I will also tell the Father in heaven that I know him.

³³ But anyone who tells people he does not know me, I will also tell my Father in heaven that I do not know him.'

³⁴ `Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but war.

³⁵ I came to take away peace between a man and his father. I came to take away peace between a daughter and her mother. I came to take away peace between a man's wife and his mother.

³⁶ A man will have people in his own family who make trouble for him.

³⁷ Anyone who loves his father or his mother more than he loves me, is not good enough for me. Anyone who loves his son or his daughter more than he loves me, is not good enough for me.

³⁸ Anyone who is not willing to carry his cross and suffer with me, is not good enough for me.

³⁹ Anyone who tries to keep his life, will lose it. Anyone who gives up his life for my sake, will find it.'