The Year of the Lord's Favor

Worship in the Splendor of Holiness

⁹ because, if ^(A)you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and ^(B)believe in your heart ^(C)that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, ^(D)“Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ^12 (E)For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; ^(F)for the same Lord is Lord of all, ^(G)bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³ For ^(H)“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him ^(I)of whom they have never heard?^[a] And how are they to hear ^(J)without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ^(K)“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ¹⁶ But ^(L)they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ^(M)“Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” ¹⁷ So ^(N)faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

^19 (A)On the evening ^(B)of that day, the first day of the week, ^(C)the doors being locked where the disciples were ^(D)for fear of the Jews,^[a] Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ^(E)“Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When he had said this, ^(F)he showed them his hands and his side. Then ^(G)the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As ^(H)the Father has sent me, ^(I)even so I am sending you.” ²² And when he had said this, he ^(J)breathed on them and said to them, ^(K)“Receive the Holy Spirit. ^23 (L)If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Jesus and Thomas

²⁴ Now ^(M)Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,^[b] was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, ^(N)“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. ^(O)Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ^(P)“Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, ^(Q)“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, ^(R)“My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? ^(S)Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of This Book

^30 (T)Now Jesus did many other signs ^(U)in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ^31 (V)but these are written so that you may ^(W)believe that Jesus is the Christ, ^(X)the Son of God, and that by believing ^(Y)you may have life ^(Z)in his name.