Friday, February 18

1The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth,

2because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:

3Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

4I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.

5And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.

6This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

7For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

8Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

9Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;

11for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

12Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

13The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.

22And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.

23Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.

24And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

25Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

26And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

27With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left.

28So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'

29And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, 'Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days,

30save Yourself, and come down from the cross!'

31Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, 'He saved others; Himself He cannot save.

32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.' Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

33Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' which is translated, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'

35Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, 'Look, He is calling for Elijah!'

36Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, 'Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.'

37And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

38Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, 'Truly this Man was the Son of God!'

40There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome,

41who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.