Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁵ “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers.^(A) You must listen to him. ¹⁶ This is what you requested from the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, ‘Let us not continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God or see this great fire any longer, so that we will not die!’^{(B) 17} Then the Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. ¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. ¹⁹ I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to My words that he speaks in My name.^{(C) 20} But the prophet who dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.’

Psalm 111

Praise for the Lord’s Works

Food Offered to Idols

8 About food offered to idols:^(A) We know that “we all have knowledge.”^[a] Knowledge inflates with pride,^(B) but love^(C) builds up. ² If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it.^{(D) 3} But if anyone loves God,^(E) he is known^(F) by Him.

⁴ About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.”^{(G) 5} For even if there are so-called gods,^(H) whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”—

⁷ However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸ Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat.^{(L) 9} But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block^(M) to the weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? ¹¹ Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died,^(N) is ruined^[b](O) by your knowledge.^{(P) 12} Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat,^(Q) so that I won’t cause my brother to fall.

Driving Out an Unclean Spirit

²¹ Then^(A) they went into Capernaum,^(B) and right away He entered the synagogue^(C) on the Sabbath^(D) and began to teach.^{(E) 22} They were astonished^(F) at His teaching^(G) because, unlike the scribes,^(H) He was teaching them as one having authority.

²³ Just then a man with an unclean^(I) spirit^(J) was in their synagogue.^(K) He cried out,^{[a] 24} “What do You have to do with us,^[b] Jesus—Nazarene?^(L) Have You come to destroy^(M) us? I know who You are—the Holy^(N) One of God!”^(O)

²⁵ But Jesus rebuked^(P) him and said, “Be quiet,^[c](Q) and come out of him!” ²⁶ And the unclean spirit convulsed him,^(R) shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.

²⁷ Then they were all amazed,^(S) so they began to argue^(T) with one another, saying, “What is this? A new teaching^(U) with authority!^[d](V) He commands even the unclean^(W) spirits,^(X) and they obey Him.” ²⁸ News about Him then spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.^(Y)