The Bible this Week - Epiphany 6

 

The Bible this Week
The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

The Collect

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because
in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping
your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Epistle

1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh,
as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food.
Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling
among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says,
“I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to
each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who
waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a
common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants,
working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.

The Gospel

Matthew 5:21-37

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and
‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or
sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council;
and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the
altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before
the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to
terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand
you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you,
you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who
looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes
you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your
whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away;
it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you
that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery;
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry
out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is
the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great
King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be
‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”