Daily Reading for Saturday, December 3rd, 2022

Reading 1, First Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23

¹⁶ In fact, preaching the gospel gives me nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion and I should be in trouble if I failed to do it.

¹⁷ If I did it on my own initiative I would deserve a reward; but if I do it under compulsion I am simply accepting a task entrusted to me.

¹⁸ What reward do I have, then? That in my preaching I offer the gospel free of charge to avoid using the rights which the gospel allows me.

¹⁹ So though I was not a slave to any human being, I put myself in slavery to all people, to win as many as I could.

²² To the weak, I made myself weak, to win the weak. I accommodated myself to people in all kinds of different situations, so that by all possible means I might bring some to salvation.

²³ All this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its benefits with others.

Gospel, Mark 16:15-20

¹⁵ And he said to them, 'Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation.

¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

¹⁷ These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues;

¹⁸ they will pick up snakes in their hands and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.'

¹⁹ And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven; there at the right hand of God he took his place,

²⁰ while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.