Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ^(A)

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ^(B)“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

¹⁴ So they said, ^(C)“Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or ^(D)one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do ^(E)you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, ^(F)“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, ^(G)for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but ^(H)My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that ^(I)you are Peter, and ^(J)on this rock I will build My church, and ^(K)the gates of Hades shall not ^[a]prevail against it.

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

³⁷ Now when they heard this, ^(A)they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, ^(B)“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the ^[a]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and ^(C)to your children, and ^(D)to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

A Vital Church Grows

⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this ^[b]perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who ^[c]gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ^42 (E)And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ ^[d]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ Then fear came upon every soul, and ^(F)many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and ^(G)had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and ^[e]sold their possessions and goods, and ^(H)divided^[f] them among all, as anyone had need.

^46 (I)So continuing daily with one accord ^(J)in the temple, and ^(K)breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And ^(L)the Lord added ^[g]to the church daily those who were being saved.

²² And ^(A)He put all things under His feet, and gave Him ^(B)to be head over all things to the church, ^23 (C)which is His body, ^(D)the fullness of Him ^(E)who fills all in all.

¹⁸ For ^(A)through Him we both have access ^(B)by one Spirit to the Father.

Christ Our Cornerstone

¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been ^(C)built ^(D)on the foundation of the ^(E)apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being ^(F)the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into ^(G)a holy temple in the Lord, ^22 (H)in whom you also are being built together for a ^(I)dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

¹⁴ But this I confess to you, that according to ^(A)the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the ^(B)God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in ^(C)the Law and in the Prophets. ^15 (D)I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, ^(E)that there will be a resurrection ^[a]of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. ^16 (F)This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

Our Final Victory

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that ^(A)flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a ^[a]mystery: ^(B)We shall not all sleep, ^(C)but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. ^(D)For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and ^(E)this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ^(F)“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and ^(H)the strength of sin is the law. ^57 (I)But thanks be to God, who gives us ^(J)the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Comfort of Christ’s Coming

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen ^[a]asleep, lest you sorrow ^(A)as others ^(B)who have no hope. ¹⁴ For ^(C)if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him ^(D)those who ^[b]sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ For this we say to you ^(E)by the word of the Lord, that ^(F)we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are ^[c]asleep. ¹⁶ For ^(G)the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with ^(H)the trumpet of God. ^(I)And the dead in Christ will rise first. ^17 (J)Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them ^(K)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus ^(L)we shall always be with the Lord. ^18 (M)Therefore comfort one another with these words.

⁵ which is ^(A)manifest^[a] evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, ^(B)for which you also suffer; ^6 (C)since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with ^[b]tribulation those who trouble you, ⁷ and to give you who are troubled ^(D)rest with us when ^(E)the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^9 (F)These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and ^(G)from the glory of His power,

²⁸ So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, ^(A)you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ^29 (B)And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother ^[a]or wife or children or ^[b]lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. ^30 (C)But many who are first will be last, and the last first.